Tag Archives: Resource Capital Funds

Resource Capital Funds backs ADR’s robotic inspection vision

Automation, Mining finance, Mining safety, , , ,

Australian Droid and Robot, or ADR, has announced “significant” backing from Resource Capital Funds’ (RCF) mining innovation focused investment strategy RCF Innovation II.

The funding will help ADR t0 scale up and advance its new Explora Remote Data Acquisition System (ERDAS), which ADR claims will save the average mine site two or more hours of daily production time, reducing costs by A$13 million ($8.5 million) a year, significantly reducing carbon footprint and preventing workers from being exposed to fatal or critical risks.

Designed to seamlessly integrate into existing mine infrastructure, the system will enhance ADR’s existing Explora XL Robot’s data acquisition abilities by allowing it to remain permanently underground, preventing the need for it to be retrieved for data uploads, recharging and maintenance, the company says.

Ten ADR Explora XL unmanned robots, alongside a Rajant wireless Kinetic Mesh below-ground communication network with PBE hardware and technology, were previously used to navigate a horizontal mobile infrastructure distance of 1.7 km as part of a mine inspection at one of the US’ largest underground room and pillar limestone mining operations. The mine had suffered a significant pillar and roof collapse.

As part of RCF’s backing, ADR is to receive strategic guidance from Lyle Bruce who led and successfully commercialised Groundprobe, a company highly renowned for its mining slope monitoring.

ADR concluded: “Thanks to the funding and support, we plan to launch our Explora Remote Data Acquisition System to the market in the first quarter of 2025.”

RG Gold looks to quadruple yellow metal output with new processing plant

Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , ,

RG Gold, majority owned Kazakh private equity group Verny Capital, has launched a new processing plant at its operations in Kazakhstan that is expected to enable the company to quadruple its gold output to circa-190,000 oz in 2023.

The new carbon in pulp plant, worth more than $420 million, has an annual processing capacity of around 5 Mt/y.

The new processing plant deploys modern equipment from global industry leaders, including Metso Outotec, thyssenkrupp, FLSmidth, Weir Minerals, Roytec and Kemix, RG Gold said.

RG Gold operates the RayGorodok deposit in northern Kazakhstan, one of the country’s largest mines with 5.9 Moz of JORC Code gold reserves. Its output is set to exceed 50,000 oz this year.

Bulat Utemuratov, the key investor in Verny Capital projects, said: “The launch of the new processing plant is a key milestone for RG Gold. It is underpinned by the highest global industry standards using the latest innovation and technical expertise from Resource Capital Funds, our strategic partner. The new plant allows us not only to quadruple RG Gold’s overall output, but importantly, it also provides the opportunity to boost investment in the region.”

Australia’s CEFC invests in RCF’s decarbonisation-focused METS funding platform

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , , ,

Resource Capital Funds says The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), Australia’s largest dedicated cleantech investor, has invested $14 million into RCF Jolimont Mining Innovation Fund II (RCF Jolimont Fund II), a private equity fund specialising in mining innovation that, RCF says, strives to make mining safer, better and more efficient.

RCF Jolimont Fund II will invest in growth mining equipment, technology and services (METS) companies with an increasing focus on mining innovation investments that look to support the decarbonisation of the sector and meet the mining industry’s appetite for the clean energy technologies that will seek to accelerate the reduction of emissions across the industry.

Lyle Bruce, Partner, Head of RCF Jolimont, says: “The METS sector is helping to enable the sustainable mining of critical energy transition metals like copper, nickel, lithium and others that the world is demanding. We are proud to have the support of the CEFC to continue investing in emerging mining technologies that are revolutionising how mines operate, and helping reduce the emissions of Australia’s mining operations.”

CEFC Resources Executive Director, Rob Wilson, said: “Reducing emissions in the mining industry is critical to Australia’s push towards net zero emissions and will help position the sector competitively for the future. Our investment in RCF Jolimont II will help tackle what is a traditionally hard-to-abate sector by backing companies that are developing innovative solutions to emissions reduction.

“The RCF team has exceptional experience in mining-focused private equity and specialist expertise in fostering the growth of mining innovation companies. The potential pipeline of investee companies offers an exciting opportunity to recast mining in Australia for the long term as we help solve the challenge of decarbonising mining.”