Tag Archives: nickel

Barminco secures A$157m underground contract extension with IGO at Nova

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Perenti has announced that its underground mining business, Barminco, has signed a contract extension with IGO Ltd to continue mining at the Nova underground nickel mine in the Fraser Range of Western Australia.

Barminco’s involvement at the Nova mine commenced in early 2015 when it was a greenfield site. This contract extension is worth A$157 million ($106 million) and runs for 29 months.

Mark Norwell, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Perenti, said: “We are immensely proud that Barminco has been present since the beginning of the Nova operation. This contract extension is a testament to the strength of our relationship with IGO and underscores our commitment to collaborating with our clients to generate value together.”

Gabrielle Iwanow, President of Contract Mining at Perenti, added: “Barminco is excited to continue the delivery of the world-class critical minerals operation at Nova. The ongoing safe and reliable mine production showcases how a collaborative approach and willingness to explore innovative solutions can deliver positive outcomes, even amidst significant market challenges.”

In Independence Group’s 2024 financial year, Nova achieved total production of 20,806 t of nickel, 9,922 t of copper, and 735 t of cobalt at a cash cost of A$3.99/lb Ni (payable).

Draslovka’s glycine leaching tech to be tested on gold, nickel tailings at Windarra

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Draslovka a.s. subsidiary Encore Minerals, a company established with the specific aim of progressing waste to value opportunities, has entered into an agreement with Poseidon Nickel to retreat and monetise gold and nickel tailings in Western Australia.

Draslovka’s proprietary Glycine Leaching Technology (GLT), comprising the GlyCat™ process for precious metals and GlyLeach™ process for base metals, will be an enabler for the extraction of
realisable value from Poseidon’s gold and nickel tailings at its Windarra property and potentially from a third-party tailings resource at nearby Lancefield (the Windarra Tailings project), Draslovka says.

Previous metallurgical test work for the Windarra Tailings project had shown potential improvement in recoveries and costs for the site’s gold resources. The test work also established the potential for a technical, economically viable and low-intensity process for recovery of nickel from nickel tailings. A previous feasibility study for the gold resource using conventional cyanidation showed net operating cash flow of A$30.6 million ($19.9 million), a net present value (8% discount) of A$21.7 million and an internal rate of return of 50.6%, assuming a gold price of A$2,500/oz.

The next step is to undertake a technical program to optimise the project with both the gold and nickel resources, which will lead to an updated feasibility study and a final investment decision. If
successful, the project will lead to the construction of the first GLT processing plant for tailings.

Ivor Bryan, Chief Technology Officer of Draslovka Mining Process Solutions, said: “We are excited to play an integral role in enabling the retreatment of the gold and nickel tailings at the Windarra Tailings project by supplying GLT, which has been developed to extract precious and base metals.

“GLT is revolutionary for the mining industry. It has the potential to save mining companies billions of dollars by significantly reducing processing costs, enhancing a mine’s sustainability profile, extending mine life by lowering the cut-off grade and unlocking value hidden in a mine’s tailings. I believe the results at Windarra will be a powerful example of how GLT is a simple yet very effective means to retreat and monetise tailings.”

BQE Water receives contract extension at Glencore’s Raglan nickel mine

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BQE Water Inc has announced the renewal of the operations services agreement with Glencore Canada Corporation for water treatment at the Raglan nickel mine in Nunavik, Quebec.

BQE provides services in the Nunavik region in a joint venture with Nuvumiut Developments, an Inuit community-based organisation.

Under the terms of the multi-year agreement with an option to extend, the joint venture is responsible for clean water production for environmental discharge and meeting effluent quality that ensures the health of the pristine aquatic environment in the region.

BQE has operated at Raglan for 21 consecutive years, uninterrupted even by the pandemic. Several of the treatment systems operated by the joint venture were originally designed and supplied by BQE while others were supplied by third parties. The scope of services under the new agreement remains unchanged from previous years, the company says.

David Kratochvil, President & CEO of BQE Water, said: “We are extremely proud to have earned the trust and the opportunity to continue working with Glencore as a long-term partner. As one of the global leaders in mining, Glencore has very high standards in health and safety and environmental protection. I attribute the contract renewal to our ability to meet these standards while continuing to innovate and improve our service year after year.”

Johnny Alaku, President of Qaqqalik Landholding Corporation and a member of the board for Nuvumiut Developments, said: “As Landholding Corporations of Salluit and Kangisujuaq, our goal is to protect the environment and our wildlife for generations to come while supporting and generating opportunities for our communities. BQE’s track record at Raglan and their commitment to openness, fairness, and stewardship over water makes our partnership the right vehicle to achieve our goals.”

Electric mine study points to the future, says IGO’s Carr

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Planned electrification of the Cosmos underground nickel mine in Western Australia had no bearing on owner IGO’s decision earlier this year to shelve redevelopment due to low metal prices and project cost escalation, The Electric Mine 2024 heard this week.

Acting COO of the diversified Australian miner, Chris Carr, said at the conference in Perth a study on the economic feasibility of switching from diesel equipment to battery-electric that ‘presented a compelling case to us’ for electrification highlighted current challenges and opportunities in the industry’s push to transition to new generation mobile equipment.

In parallel with the electrification study by mining contractor Perenti and engineering major ABB, IGO completed a project review that cut Cosmos’ expected mine life and pushed up capital and operating costs. Lower nickel prices have negatively impacted most Western Australian sulphide nickel mines.

IGO put Cosmos into care and maintenance at the start of 2024. “Electrification was not a factor in that decision,” Carr said at the The Electric Mine 2024, hosted by International Mining Events. “But electrification will be considered in any future Cosmos operation.”

A whitepaper summarising the study results was posted this week by IGO. ‘Making electrified underground mining a reality: Lessons from the Cosmos Electrification Study’ concluded replacing diesel underground mining vehicles with a battery-electric fleet was now technically feasible and will increasingly be a key technological enabler for mining companies to achieve their decarbonisation goals.”

Perenti and ABB said a combination of actual and projected battery-electric vehicle cost and performance data indicated BEV fleet available to the Australian market could match the productivity of mature diesel equipment.

They also found estimated costs to electrify Cosmos’ modest underground fleet was not prohibitive over the planned mine life, ‘even based on conservative productivity and cost assumptions.’ IGO wasn’t going to obtain full benefits from optimised ventilation and other infrastructure design due to sunk investment in the mine prior to its acquisition of the asset in 2022, Carr said.

The study identified gaps in available BEV operating and maintenance direct and indirect cost data due to the formative stage of equipment, battery, charging and support system development relative to entrenched diesel models.

It also highlighted significantly longer delivery times for battery-electric equipment than diesel models. “We hope this is not prioritising diesel units to make more money Carr said. “This is slowing adoption.” However, Carr said at the conference none of this would stop the march of EVs into traditional diesel territory.

The improving cost profile of EVs and the market pull created by industry decarbonisation goals were not the only drivers.”In five-to-10 years we’ll all be electric and be wondering what all the fuss was about. The cost differential of an all-electric mine presented a compelling case to us. We also believe the decision to electrify should include the safety case and the harder to quantify but nevertheless real benefits of the ESG case. The decision to electrify should be made on the combined basis of safety, ESG and economics. The economics is the hardest one right now. But safety ought to be enough on its own.”

Stricter standards for airborne diesel particulate matter (DPM) emissions in Australia and elsewhere would ‘push electrification a lot harder,’ Carr said.

MasterMined Innovation CEO, Tony Sprague, told The Electric Mine 2024 DPM, and specifically nano-DPM, was ‘the elephant in the room’ and the ‘real driver of getting diesel out of the underground mine and to achieve the electric mine.’ Sprague, the former Group Manager of Directional Studies and Innovation with gold major Newcrest, said modern underground mine equipment diesel particulate filters regenerated carcinogenic nano-DPM in underground work environments.

“It can’t easily be measured…but we do know it’s more easily absorbed into the human body, through the skin, through the lungs, and it’s recirculated through the body, through the blood, and it impacts the body on a cellular level. Really we’re flying blind when it comes to the hazard of DPM and nano-DPM. There is a new [emission] target that is coming from Safe Work Australia that is not far away. When it’s going to land we’re not too sure, but if it does land it’s going to be very problematic for the industry.”

This story was written by Richard Roberts of InvestMETS, one of The Electric Mine 2024 Supporting Partners

Ausenco

Canada Nickel instructs Ausenco to kick off FEED stage at Crawford nickel project

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Canada Nickel Company announced today that it has commenced Front End Engineering Design (FEED) at its Crawford Nickel Sulphide project, in Ontario, led by its long-term engineering partner Ausenco Engineering Canada ULC and supported by a number of engineering firms from the project’s feasibility study.

Mark Selby, CEO of Canada Nickel, said: “As we continue to successfully advance Crawford financing and permitting activities, we are confidently moving into this next phase of project development which maintains our targets of a mid-2025 construction decision and first production by year-end 2027 by sufficiently advancing engineering on a number of fronts.”

The FEED step in this next phase of project development is expected to be completed by August 2024. FEED activities will be supported by data collected during the 2024 winter geotechnical program, which is currently nearing completion. This program was focused on continuing to de-risk the project and acquiring sufficient data to allow a construction start once a decision has been made. This year’s activities were focused in the process plant, primary crushing, mine stockpile and tailings management areas.

These activities also included the driving of 24 test bearing-piles in the process plant and primary crusher areas which will be used for refining structural foundation designs.

The bankable feasibility study on Crawford outlined conventional open-pit mining techniques to mine 1,715 Mt ore and 3,992 Mt waste over a 33.5 year life, including 2.5 years of pre-stripping. Open-pit mining operations at Crawford will be performed by a mixed fleet of mining equipment. Areas where the footwall is in clay will be mined with 120-t-class backhoe excavators loading 40 t articulated trucks. Areas where the footwall is in sand and till will be mined with 300 t electric face shovels loading 90 t trucks. This will include clay contained in mixed clay/sand and till benches.

A bench height of 7.5 m will be employed to RL180 (approximately 90 m below the mean surface elevation), which is below the lowest horizon where overburden will be encountered. The 1,037 Mt of rock contained within these benches (63% of all 7.5 m bench material) will be mined predominantly with 700 t face shovels (Cat 6060 and Komatsu PC7000 cited). A lesser tonnage of rock will be loaded by 50 t payload wheel loaders (Komatsu WE1850) and 100 t payload rope shovels (Cat 7495 and Komatsu P&H 4100 cited). All three loading units will load 290 t trucks (the report cites the Caterpillar 794 or Komatsu 930E as examples) equipped with AHS and trolley assist.

The 4,047 Mt rock that will be mined below RL180 will be predominantly loaded by the rope shovels, supported by face shovels and front-end loaders. Over the life of mine, 2% of total rock will be loaded by wheel loaders, 30% by face shovels and the remaining 68% by rope shovels.

Peak production will be in year 11 when the 290 t fleet will total 56, loaded by three large rope shovels. Interestingly, to take full advantage of AHS haul trucks, which will not be delayed for operator delays, the 700 t face shovels and rope shovels will be operated tele-remotely. Additionally, an additional operator will be provided for each fleet per shift, to facilitate operator breaks. For example, at peak production there will be two 700 t face shovels and three rope shovels operational. These will be operated by a team of three face shovel operators and four shovel operators on each shift.

No drilling and blasting of overburden will be required. For pioneer operations on the initial bench of rock mining, small diesel powered and conventionally operated drills will be used to drill 127 mm blast holes. Below this initial bench, larger electrically powered units equipped with an autonomous drilling system (ADS) will be used for drilling 229 mm blast holes on 7.5 m benches and 271 mm blast holes on 15 m benches. Final walls will be pre-split. Pre-split holes will be drilled using the same machine as for pioneering.

Production equipment will be supported by various units of support equipment, including tracked dozers, wheel dozers, wheel loaders, graders, water tankers and utility excavators. A mining contractor will be used to expedite the start-up, with particular focus on sourcing aggregate from off-site and establishing the initial benches in clay. Thereafter, all mining fleet will be owner-operated.

Surface haul roads for the 290-t-class trucks will be 35 m wide. Where trolley assist is used on in-pit ramps, the width will be 50 m, which allows for trolley infrastructure and an extra lane to pass any vehicle (including service vehicles) that may be stopped under the trolley line. Other roads will measure 15 m wide.

Electrical demand in the pit will peak at 70 MW (operating load) in year 13 and average 30 MW over the life of mine. The main customer will be the trolley assist system, consuming 62% of the total kilowatt-hours. The in-pit dewatering system will consume a further 9%, while workshops and the blasting plant require 1%. The remaining 28% will be consumed by mobile electric equipment, including blast hole drills, face shovels and rope shovels. Extending power to the various units of electric equipment will require a network of overhead lines that progressively extends, with a total of 68.7 km installed over the life of mine. This total includes 19 km of lines that will have been previously removed and reinstalled. Mobile electrical equipment (shovels and drills) and pumps will be supplied from mobile substations that are mounted on skids or wheels and can be towed by a wheel dozer.

Canada Nickel retained the technology consultant Peck Tech to assist with the design and implementation of ADS and AHS. It also retained the global technology company ABB to assist with the design and implementation of trolley-assisted truck haulage. It says, collectively, these technologies will achieve a reduction in the unit mining operating cost of 26%, with attendant impact on the economic limits of open-pit mining; plus a reduction in the open-pit labour component of 33%. The jobs being eliminated are lower skilled equipment operator positions that peer operations are having difficulty filling. These positions will be partially replaced by higher skilled positions associated with the implementation and maintenance of technology.

At Crawford, ADS machines would be supervised remotely in an office control room, or locally (ie in the pit) via a tablet. The nominal span of control will be one supervisor for every three operating ADS units. The report estimates that there are approximately 100 ADS equipped machines operating globally, with 80% supplied by Epiroc. Epiroc’s PV271 is cited as a blasthole drill option along with the Sandvik DR412i.

As at other autonomous haulage mines, at Crawford, AHS machines would be supervised by a team of engineers, technicians, coders, ‘runners’ (who monitor the status of equipment in the pit), and dispatchers. As some positions require a fixed number of personnel, irrespective of the number of operational units, and other positions require additional personnel if the total fleet exceeds a certain number, the overall span of control varies. For Crawford’s mine plan, the life of mine average is seven trucks per person, per shift.

With the energy prices that have been forecast for Crawford, the energy savings through use of trolley is estimated at C$31/km travelled. Productivity savings result from the increased speed of haul trucks traveling uphill on trolley. For the class of truck planned at Crawford, a doubling of speed on trolley is possible. This would lead to an overall reduction in average cycle time over the life of mine of 14%. This allows the mine plan to be achieved with fewer trucks, with the additional benefit of reducing congestion associated with ‘bunching’ of units. Maintenance wise, with the lower diesel consumption rate for a truck travelling on trolley, the interval between overhauls and replacements can be extended.

In addition to the cost benefits listed above, trolley assist also has significantly environmental benefits, resulting from the reduction in particulate matter and greenhouse gases associated with generating energy from hydrocarbons. In the event trolley assist were not used at Crawford, diesel consumption by the fleet of 290 t trucks would approximately double leading to a 53% increase in CO2 emissions.

Eight of the 10 mining stages would include trolley-assist infrastructure, with just the small East Zone starter phases EZ1 and EZ2 not having sufficient travel on the ramps to justify the technology. Trolley assist will also be provided to each of the stockpiles and to the waste rock impoundment.

The report adds: “A key assumption in the design, based on operating experience at Palabora and Sishen, is that steady-state utilization of each trolley equipped ramp (measured in percentage of potential tonnes x equipped kilometres) would be 90%. It was also assumed each new in-pit segment would take 18 months to reach this utilisation, with a key constraint being the time required to open a bench sufficiently that fly rock from blasting would not damage the system. For the dump, where no blasting would take place, the time required to reach steady-state was assumed to be 12 months. Over the life of mine, 73% of total uphill tonnes x kilometres travelled by the 290 t trucks would be on trolley-assist. The smaller 90 t and articulated trucks will not be equipped for trolley assist.”

Lifezone Metals edges closer to base metal refinement plan at Kabanga nickel project

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Lifezone Metals Limited says it has received a Multi-Metal Processing Facility Licence from the Government of Tanzania to refine nickel, copper and cobalt from its Kabanga nickel project at Kahama, located beside Barrick Gold’s former Buzwagi gold mine.

The Kabanga nickel project is in northwest Tanzania and is believed to be one of the world’s largest and highest-grade undeveloped nickel sulphide deposits, Lifezone says. The Kahama Multi-Metal Processing Facility site is around 340 km southwest of Kabanga. Lifezone’s subsidiary, Tembo Nickel Corporation Ltd is the operating entity for Kabanga and Kahama, and is 16% owned by the Government of Tanzania.

Notably, through the application of Lifezone’s Hydromet Technology, Kabanga and Kahama will be able to produce finished metals in-country, potentially reducing capital and operating costs, as well as reducing costs associated with transport of concentrate or other intermediate products. Full in-country beneficiation will contribute towards local content optimisation and eventually national development through the principle of equitable sharing of economic benefits, Lifezone says.

A definitive feasibility study for Kabanga remains on track for completion by the September quarter of 2024.

This licence news came alongside a separate announcement involving the signing of a binding subscription agreement for the issuance of $50 million of convertible debentures with a consortium of marquee mining investors. These are on top of BHP, Glencore and BlackRock as investors in the business. The proceeds are going towards development of Kabanga.

Lifezone Metals’ Hydromet Technology is a transformational method of metals recovery that has the potential to replace smelting for base and precious metals refining, according to the company. Pyrometallurgical smelting is one of the largest contributors to pollutive gas emissions, greenhouse gases and energy inefficiency in the production of metals products and the use of Hydromet Technology will help to unlock nickel, copper and cobalt from Kabanga, providing lower cost, lower emissions (relative to smelting) and traceable metals for electric vehicle batteries and to support the global energy transition, it says.

Chris Showalter, Lifezone CEO, said: “The ongoing level of commitment and support that we have received from the Government of Tanzania in the advancement of our Kabanga nickel project is exemplary. With the receipt of our Kabanga Special Mining Licence, and now the Kahama Refinery Licence, we have a clear path to delivering a direct-to-metal solution and enabling the production of nickel, copper and cobalt in Tanzania and by Tanzanians.”

The issuance of the Kahama Refinery License follows the formal gazettement of the Special Economic Zone (Declaration) Notice, 2024, which declared the Buzwagi Mining Area, within Kahama District in Shinyanga Region, a Special Economic Zone. The Kahama Refinery will be located within the Special Economic Zone, which will provide certain tax and other economic benefits for the project, according to Lifezone.

In addition, the Kahama Refinery stands to benefit from access to a highly trained workforce and legacy infrastructure from the Buzwagi gold mine, including existing camp and office buildings, regional power connections, airstrip, road connections and railway in near proximity, the company says.

This “plug-and-play” industrial hub brings significant project execution and capital cost benefits, as well as turning a past-producing mine liability into a long-term asset. Lifezone will not be taking on any legacy liabilities in relation to the closure of the Buzwagi gold mine, it added.

Metso to deliver VSF X solvent extraction tech to Chinese nickel plant

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Metso says it has been awarded an order to deliver solvent extraction technology for a nickel plant in China; an order that usually banks the OEM revenue in the range of €15-20 million ($16.4-21.9 million).

Metso’s scope of delivery consists of the VSF® X solvent extraction process for the production of a battery-grade nickel sulphate solution.

In addition, Metso will deliver multiple polishing filters, a Courier® 6X HX analyser, as well as spare parts and advisory services. Prior to this order, Metso conducted the concept study and process test for the project. Basic engineering for the project is ongoing.

The modular Metso VSF (Vertical Smooth Flow) X plants offer lower lifetime costs, significantly shorter lead times, and sustainable Planet Positive life-cycle technology built on decades of experience in solvent extraction, Metso says. Metso’s offering includes optimised solutions, complete plants and services through innovative leaching, solvent extraction and electrowinning technologies.

Raglan Mine extends operations for another two decades with Anuri

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Raglan Mine, part of Glencore, has officially inaugurated the Anuri Mine, from its Sivumut mining project, which has been under development for over 10 years.

This event marks an important milestone in the pursuit of its mining operations in Nunavik and highlights its ongoing commitment to the local communities that welcome its operations, it said.

Anuri is one of the largest mining investments in Quebec, Canada, in the last decade. It is anticipated that it will lengthen Raglan Mine’s life of operations for at least 20 years.

Pierre Barette, Vice President of Raglan Mine, said: “We expect that our mining activities, initially forecast to last 25 years, will be significantly extended thanks to the Anuri mine. This is a huge success for our 1,400 employees, our Inuit partners and our business partners.”

More than 60 Raglan Mine employees helped find a name for the new mine. The final choice, Anuri, was selected by the members of the Raglan Committee and means ‘wind’ in Inuktitut. It reflects the change, vigour and evolution that this new phase represents for Raglan Mine and its Inuit partners, Raglan said.

Jean-François Verret, Director – Projects, Geology and Exploration, noted: “This project was a challenge on every level, particularly given the pandemic, the Arctic climate and numerous logistical challenges. Nevertheless, we completed the Sivumut project ahead of schedule, under budget and with everyone’s safety at the heart of every step. We achieved this through outstanding collaboration within our team and with our partners.”

The Sivumut project is the outcome of a collaborative and continuous improvement approach, enriched by the participatory process undertaken with Inuit communities as part of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, in compliance with Quebec’s Environment Quality Act and Section 23 of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.

As a result of these consultations, the Raglan Agreement with the Inuit of Salluit, Kangiqsujuaq and all of Nunavik was improved, particularly regarding land use, employment, training and the participation of Inuit businesses.

Signed in 1995 and enhanced in 2017, the Raglan Agreement continues to guide the day-to-day operations, ensuring that commitments made to the Inuit communities of Salluit and Kangiqsujuaq, as well as to Makivvik Corporation, are respected.

Raglan Mine, involved in nickel mining since 1997, considers the Anuri mine a key step towards the pursuit of its activities in partnership with Inuit communities. Glencore thus continues its efforts to minimise its environmental footprint and maximize local benefits.

Raglan Mine is part of Glencore, one of the world’s largest diversified natural resource companies. It operates on the northern edge of Quebec, in Nunavik. Its property extends to almost 70 km from east to west, and consists of a series of high-grade deposits, mainly nickel and copper.

Anglo American and Finnish Minerals Group look to progress Finland’s battery strategy

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Anglo American and Finnish Minerals Group have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work together to explore opportunities to, they say, further support Finland’s battery strategy.

Finnish Minerals Group is a holding and development company that manages the Finnish Government’s mining industry shareholdings and supports the development of the Finnish battery value chain. Among other assets, it holds the Terrafame nickel heap leach mine.

Alison Atkinson, Projects & Development Director at Anglo American, said: “Finland is a highly attractive investment destination and has a strong heritage in both mining and innovation. We look forward to working with Finnish Minerals Group, whose mission is to responsibly maximise the value of Finnish minerals, to explore the wealth of opportunities that our agreement could offer.

“This agreement further strengthens our commitment to Finland as well as to our Sakatti project, a true polymetallic orebody very much aligned to Finland’s and the EU’s critical minerals priorities. Sakatti is designed as the next generation of FutureSmart Mining™, building on what we have learned in terms of minimal surface footprint and using technology and innovation to deliver ever better environmental and social outcomes, whilst producing essential raw materials needed to transition to a greener, low carbon energy future.”

Atkinson said last year during a sustainability performance update that Sakatti was set to be “a remotely operated, low carbon-underground mine with an electric mining fleet using technology and mining methods that will create zero waste and enable high degrees of water recycling, contributing to a sustainable supply of critical minerals”. The company also sees the potential to use sorting technologies for coarse particle rejection and material recovery opportunities at the project.

Jani Kiuru, Senior Vice President, Raw Materials at Finnish Minerals Group, said: “Exploring joint opportunities with Anglo American is a natural choice for us as they already know the Finnish operational environment. In addition, the company has a long history in mining and is a forerunner in sustainability. We believe this collaboration reinforces both parties by combining local and global knowhow in sustainability and technological development, thus maximising the value of Finnish minerals responsibly. We see there is a mutual understanding on the vast possibilities and importance of Finnish minerals for the green transition.”

As a Finnish state-owned company with a mandate to foster the Finnish mining and battery industry, Finnish Minerals Group is a natural potential partner for Anglo American in Finland, Anglo American says. The company’s main assets are: Terrafame, a subsidiary that produces nickel and cobalt sulphates; project Sokli, a phosphate and rare earths deposit; and a 20% interest in Keliber, a battery-grade lithium project aiming to start production in 2025. Additionally, Finnish Minerals Group is advancing several greenfield investments further downstream in the battery value chain.

Sakatti-FutureSmart Mining

Anglo American highlights next FutureSmart Mining advances at Woodsmith, Sakatti

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Anglo American has provided its latest sustainability performance update, highlighting a number of technological advancements the company is looking to take at its in-development Woodsmith polyhalite mine in the UK and its exploration asset, Sakatti, in Finland.

Anglo American says it has an integrated approach to sustainability in project development, helping secure its ability to deliver responsible long-term growth in future-enabling metals and minerals.

The company is moving towards its goal of carbon neutral operations by 2040, evolving its pathways as it progresses, learns and as technologies develop.

At the end of 2022, its Scope 1 and 2 emissions were 21% below the peak levels of 2019 – a significant reduction that, Anglo American says, reflects its transition to 100% renewable electricity supply across its South America operations, with Australia to follow in 2025.

In southern Africa, it is working in partnership with EDF Renewables to build a 3-5 GW renewable energy ecosystem of wind and solar generation capacity, designed to tackle its largest remaining source of Scope 2 emissions and support energy reliability and grid resilience while catalysing broad socio-economic opportunities.

While Scope 3 emissions reduction is largely dependent on the decarbonisation of Anglo American’s value chains and the steel industry, in particular, it is progressing towards its ambition to halve these emissions by 2040.

Tom McCulley, CEO of Anglo American’s Crop Nutrients business, provided several references to Quellaveco, Anglo American’s most technologically-advanced mine that uses automation, a remote operations centre and high levels of digitalisation, when looking at its FutureSmart Mining™ plans at Woodsmith, a 5 Mt/y operation that could ramp up to 13 Mt/y.

McCulley, who also led development of Quellaveco, said Woodsmith will be developed as a benchmark for sustainable mining. This includes plans for the mine to be a low carbon, low water and low waste operation, with no tailings generation and with a minimum impact design.

“We hope this can show a way of how mining can be done in the future,” McCulley said of this approach at Woodsmith.

When it comes to Sakatti, Alison Atkinson, Projects & Development Director, said the development could end up being “our next greenfield project”.

The project is a rich multi-metal deposit with not only copper, nickel and cobalt resources, but also platinum, palladium, gold and silver.

“High concentrations of metal combined with consistency of the mineralisation between the boreholes make Sakatti a unique deposit,” Anglo American says of the project. Its resources are estimated to be sufficient for mining operations to last more than 20 years.

Atkinson said Sakatti is being designed as the next generation of FutureSmart Mining, building on what it has learned from Quellaveco and Woodsmith, particularly when it comes to ensuring there is minimal surface footprint and “using technology and innovations to deliver even better sustainability outcomes”.

She added: “Sakatti is set to be a remotely operated, low carbon-underground mine with an electric mining fleet using technology and mining methods that will create zero waste and enable high degrees of water recycling, contributing to a sustainable supply of critical minerals.”

The company also sees the potential to use sorting technologies for coarse particle rejection and material recovery opportunities.