Tag Archives: Lewis Black

Almonty Industries and Korea Telecom to introduce Mine Safety DX technology at Sandong

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mining safety, Mining services, , , , , ,

Almonty Industries, through its wholly-owned South Korean subsidiary, Almonty Korea Tungsten Corporation (AKTC), has announced a collaboration with Korea Telecom (KT) to introduce cutting-edge Mine Safety DX technology.

Developed in partnership with KT, this solution aims to enhance worker safety and promote efficient mining practices which is indicative of AKTC’s strong commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance, Almonty says.

The partnership between AKTC and KT is the result of the continuing challenges the mining industry has faced in ensuring immediate response to unforeseen events and instantaneous sharing of critical information in emergency situations. The Mine Safety DX technology, which is being implemented at the Sangdong mine in South Korea, addresses these concerns by using advanced information and communication technology to establish a new safety framework for mining operations.

“We are fully committed to implementing responsible and sustainable mining practices as we reopen the Sangdong Mine while also providing the safest environment possible for our mine workers,” Lewis Black, President and CEO of Almonty, said. “Mine Safety DX technology, developed with Korean Telecom, gives us a previously unheard of level of workplace environment monitoring that ensures the detection of hazardous factors and timely notifications to protect worker well-being. We look forward to sharing this advancement with the rest of the mining community.”

In addition, AKTC will be making this technology, which is a key component of our ESG program, available via open source to allow all South Korean mines access to this important new system.

The communication infrastructure established by KT and AKTC at the Sangdong mine is based on LTE technology. This infrastructure offers superior coverage and simultaneous access, surpassing the capabilities of Wi-Fi and radios traditionally used in mine communication, accoring to Almonty. By utilising “leaky coaxial cables” and “mining designated line amplifiers”, seamless communication is possible even in deep underground sections of the mine, ensuring communication and monitoring capabilities, it says.

The Mine Safety DX solution incorporates various components, including smart devices, access/location management, an AI-based mine safety system and workplace environment monitoring. Smart devices, such as smart bands and helmets with smart tags, provide real-time location information and biometric data, enabling immediate response to underground emergencies and ensuring worker safety. The access/location management component uses Bluetooth Low Energy beacons for precise positioning and notification of workers entering dangerous areas. This AI-based mine safety system enables real-time monitoring of worker safety, emergency messaging and data analysis allowing mine operators to take proactive safety measures, according to Almonty. Workplace environment monitoring ensures the detection of hazardous factors and timely notifications to protect worker well-being.

In addition to improving safety standards, the Mine Safety DX technology also contributes to the efficient functioning of mining operations, according to Almonty. By establishing a robust communication infrastructure, AKTC aims to enhance mining efficiency and productivity.

The collaboration between AKTC and KT aligns with the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s Comprehensive Mine Safety Plan and supports the government’s goal of providing long-distance wide-area communication capabilities by 2027.

“We are proud to partner with KT in developing the Mine Safety DX solution,” Donghoon Kang, Sangdong Mine’s Planning Director at AKTC, said. “This collaboration allows us to prioritise worker safety while also promoting efficient mining practices. We believe that the implementation of this technology will establish Yeongwol-Gun, Gangwon-do, as a mining city at the forefront of technological advancement, contributing to the revitalization of the domestic mining industry.”

AKTC and KT plan to continue their collaboration in developing innovative solutions that not only prioritise safety but also align with ESG principles, Almonty says.

Almonty aims for ‘carbon neutrality’ at Sandong molybdenum mine

Environmental, Industrial minerals, Mineral project development, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

Almonty Industries is expanding its current environmental, social and governance (ESG) program at its Panasqueira mine in Portugal and at its Sangdong project (pictured) in South Korea, with the former set to receive a solar facility in the next 12 months and the latter eying up the use of underground electric fleets.

The solar project at Panasqueira, a tungsten mine, will see a 2.52 MW installation implemented over the next 12 months to produce 4.1 million kWh/y of renewable energy, which represents 21.5% of power consumption at the mine.

At the Sangdong tungsten mine, a third-party report will be concluded over the next three months to analyse the asset’s carbon footprint and how best to minimise it. Given the energy from the grid supplied to the Sangdong project is 100% renewable, the company says it has a “unique opportunity” to push towards carbon neutrality at the Korea site. The underground mine is currently under construction.

Lewis Black, Chairman, President and CEO of Almonty, said: “As we transition into the wider financial ETF markets of Asia and Australia, and our visibility continues to increase as a significant producer of the strategic metals of tungsten and molybdenum once Sangdong and Almonty Korea Moly opens, it has become increasingly important to ensure that we are continually reviewing and developing our ESG which sits perfectly in line with the equator principles around which the Sangdong project is being built.”

He added: “The aim for carbon neutrality at Sangdong is potentially achievable once underground electric fleets can maintain a charge for an entire shift, which is estimated to be technically possible within the next 18 months, but we are extremely fortunate that 100% of our energy comes from a renewable source making the target of carbon neutrality achievable.”

Metso engineering work steers Almonty towards production at Sandong tungsten project

Base metals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , ,

Metso, in the face of COVID-19 restrictions, has kept Almonty Industries’ Sandong tungsten project in South Korea on track, completing and delivering the basic engineering work for the crushing and grinding circuit of the process plant.

Almonty said the work was delivered on May 15 and is now under review by the technical team, with approval expected within two weeks.

The overall process flowsheet with process mass balance, equipment list, plant layout drawings, process control philosophy, control diagrams and general technical information were provided after five months of extensive work by Metso, in collaboration with Almonty’s technical team, it said.

Ore characterisation tests on drop weight, bond mill work index, abrasion and crushability were conducted at the Metso laboratories during 2019 and 2020 in order to determine the physical properties, mineral liberation and comminution indices of the ore, which were used as the basis for the design criteria of the equipment for the Sangdong processing plant, it said.

“The Metso equipment selected for the basic engineering is from the world-class product range, which provides for high availability and low operational costs,” Almonty said.

Almonty’s Chairman, President and CEO, Lewis Black, said: “We appreciate Metso and its specialised professionals for their intensive work and dedication in the past months to produce this meaningful basic engineering output, turning its second-to-none experience and expertise in the mining field to the most optimum design criteria for the equipment and process of the Sangdong plant.

“Despite the hardship set by COVID-19, the timely delivery of Metso’s basic engineering work on these critical processing units and long-lead items, such as crushers and mills, will enable Almonty to meet the critical path timeline of the Sangdong project as proposed for the KfW-IBEX Bank project financing.

“The comprehensive and thorough basic engineering work produced by Metso will surely serve as the basis of attaining the performance criteria of the plant guaranteed by Metso.”

Almonty is currently running a pilot plant at Sandong (pictured) to test out the flowsheet on a much smaller scale, but the aim is to build the beneficiation plant this year before moving into tungsten concentrate powder production in 2022.