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AIMEX 2023 conference to highlight tech innovation and decarbonisation importance

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The conference program for Asia Pacific’s International Mining Exhibition (AIMEX), taking place at the Sydney Showgrounds from September 5-7, has just been released, with over 25 leaders from resources, minerals processing, METS and policy sectors set to feature at Australia’s longest-running mining event.

Each day of the three-day conference will address a specific theme. Day one covers decarbonisation in mining, one of the biggest topics for the industry currently. The opening day will have panel discussions featuring leaders from METS Ignited, Australian Hydrogen Council, ISN and the International Copper Association Australia.

John Fennell, CEO of the International Copper Association Australia, says the conference comes at a critical time for the resources sector.

He said: “The world’s move to electrification has compounded supply and demand issues across industry. There are key technologies that will help us to move forward with higher operational efficiency and lower emissions, but in order to implement these technologies industry-wide we need to talk about them as an industry first.”

Day two will cover technical innovation, with a keynote from Nathan Kirchner of Robotics Australia Group, plus panel discussions with academic experts from the University of Newcastle and UQ’s Sustainable Minerals Institute, and contributions from Accenture, CR Powered by Epiroc and Fleet Space Technologies.

The final day of the conference will focus on the hot-button topic of ESG, with speakers discussing renewable integration, the circular economy and leveraging technology.

Associate Professor, Liza Forbes, from UQ’s Sustainable Minerals Institute is speaking as part of two panels at the conference, and notes the importance of industry collaboration and conversation.

Dr Forbes said: “One of the biggest barriers to industry collaboration is that systemic incentives for academic work are often not in step with industry needs, resulting in siloed operations. It is vital for academic research to build and maintain industry relevance by staying abreast of the common problems that industry encounters and the solutions that are sought for such problems.

“By coming together at events like AIMEX, we open important channels for discussion and collaboration that work towards removing those knowledge silos.”

The conference runs alongside the AIMEX exhibition, where over 250 national and international exhibitors will be present. New features of the exhibition this year include the Transformative Technology Pavilion and the Decarbonisation Zone, further emphasising the importance of technology innovation and decarbonisation to the industry’s future.

AIMEX Exhibition Director, Samantha Martin, says this is no coincidence, and the focus reflects industry trends and attendee feedback across multiple events.

She said: “We aim to make our events both a gathering place for the industry at all points of the supply and value chain, and a launching pad to move industry discussions forward into a sustainable future. I’m excited about the conference program at this year’s AIMEX, with plenty of content for attendees from engineers to management, consultants, decision makers and suppliers.”

International Mining is a media sponsor of AIMEX. More information here.

Orica addresses Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions in latest GHG reduction pledge

Environmental, Explosives and blasting, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Orica has announced its ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, covering Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and its most “material” Scope 3 GHG emission sources.

The ambition builds on Orica’s previously announced medium-term target to reduce Scope 1 and 2 operational emissions by at least 40% by 2030.

To advance its net zero emissions ambition, Orica says it will:

  • Continue to reduce its operational footprint: prioritising Scope 1 and 2 operational emissions reductions by deploying tertiary catalyst abatement technology, sourcing renewable energy and optimising energy efficiency and industrial processes;
  • Collaborate with its suppliers: as new and emerging technologies scale and become commercial, partner with suppliers to source lower emissions intensity ammonium nitrate (AN) and ammonia to reduce Orica’s Scope 3 emissions, which account for approximately 70% of Orica’s total Scope 3 emissions;
  • Prioritise lower carbon solutions: developing lower carbon AN, as well as new products, services and technology offerings to help customers achieve their own sustainability goals; and
  • Report progress: transparently disclose performance consistent with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure.

Orica Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Sanjeev Gandhi, said: “Our ambition of net zero emissions by 2050 shows our commitment to playing a part in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. This is a strong signal that the decarbonisation of Orica will, and must, continue beyond 2030 and requires a collaborative approach across all of our stakeholders.

“We’re making solid progress having already achieved a 9% emissions reduction in financial year 2020 (to June 30, 2020) and further reductions this financial year. We’ve taken our 2030 medium-term target and extended our planning over the long term, developing a credible roadmap to support our ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

“Over the next decade, Orica is deploying tertiary catalyst abatement, prioritising renewable energy opportunities and supporting a trial of carbon capture utilisation and storage technology. Beyond 2030, how we achieve our ambition is dependent on effective global policy frameworks, supportive regulation and financial incentives, and access to new and emerging technologies operating at commercial scale.

“Orica is a company with a long history of technical innovation which is already helping our customers improve mine site safety, productivity and efficiency. We will apply the same approach by deploying low-emissions technologies to our major manufacturing sites and working with our global suppliers and stakeholders on reducing the footprint of our supply chain.”

Orica says it has already undertaken several initiatives to drive action towards its medium-term target and support its 2050 net zero emissions ambition.

In FY2020, Orica’s Bontang AN manufacturing facility in Indonesia recorded a 43% reduction in net emissions and its Kooragang Island nitrates manufacturing plant (pictured below) in Australia achieved a 6.3% reduction in net emissions, by replacing and improving the performance of selective catalyst abatement technologies, the company said.

In partnership with the Alberta Government this year, Orica’s Carseland AN manufacturing facility in Canada has commissioned tertiary catalyst abatement technology, reducing emissions by approximately 83,000 t/y of CO2e.

Orica has assigned approximately A$45 million ($33 million) over the next five years in capital to deploy similar tertiary abatement technology across its Australian AN sites, which, it says, could deliver an annual reduction of 750,000 t CO2e.

Orica will also support the construction of a mobile demonstration plant of carbon capture, utilisation and storage technology at its Kooragang Island manufacturing facility, led by Mineral Carbonation International, in partnership with the Australian Government and the University of Newcastle. The plant is scheduled to be built on Orica’s Kooragang Island site by the end of 2023 and have direct access to some 250,000 t of captured CO2 from Orica’s manufacturing operations.

New research collective to examine grinding mill process

Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining techniques, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Bradken, as part of a research collective, is to work on a project aimed at delivering a digital step-change in grinding mill design and performance.

The company, which specialises in equipment wear parts and services, made the announcement following the award of an Australian Government grant of A$545,000 ($362,264) for the project, which will focus on comminution and developing super-accurate simulations of the grinding mill process, it said.

Bradken Global Research and Development Manager, Reece Attwood, said the potentially game-changing project would give global mining and resources operators the ability to precisely target grinding efficiency, mill liner service life, power consumption and carbon emissions, to optimise their operations.

“The constant evolution of the global raw material market and the changing needs of our customers’ demands that Bradken innovates so we can deliver solutions that offer improved productivity, but on a whole new level,” Attwood said.

“This exciting project aims to accelerate improvements in mill design through development of an enhanced digital twin while, combining a number of technologies such as IoT instrumentation, enhanced simulation techniques and deep learning.”

The project will be hosted by the University of Newcastle through its flagship research institute, the Newcastle Institute for Energy and resources (NIER) in collaboration with the University of New South Wales and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), as well as international involvement from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

Attwood said Bradken and the University of Newcastle had a long history of partnerships.

“Working with organisations like the University of Newcastle brings a bigger mix of ideas from a wider range of backgrounds all focused on the same significant challenge,” he said. “This collaboration will help generate the innovation our industry and our customers need to take the next step forward.”

Chief Investigator on the project, Professor Craig Wheeler, from the University of Newcastle, said the cross-disciplinary team will merge expertise from solids processing and artificial intelligence to develop new computational algorithms.

“Our work will enhance the design and maintenance of key industrial equipment, predict wear and optimise the design of key components to improve the life of machinery to process minerals,” Professor Wheeler said.

Leading the project for Bradken is Senior Research Scientist – Process Control, Dr Wei Chen, who, according to Bradken, has extensive experience in both industry research and applied numerical modelling.

Dr Chen said: “Partnering with a group of leading research experts from Australia and abroad, gives us access to world class thinking in IoT, deep learning and numerical modelling.

“Together we’ll go through a rigorous experimental and numerical research program that we expect will deliver considerable benefits for our customers around the world.

“Involving our customers in the research process through site trials will keep us together at the forefront of mineral processing technology.”

Work on the project is planned to get underway in March.

Australia Government provides funding for beneficiation research

Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining finance, Mining policy, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

The Australia Government says it has backed a new research centre to develop more selective and faster methods for the separation of valuable minerals.

Minister for Education Dan Tehan, earlier this week, said the government would provide A$35 million ($24 million) to establish the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals.

The centre, a partnership between ARC and the University of Newcastle, will be led by Professor Kevin Galvin and based at the university.

The centre will see the University of Newcastle collaborate with researchers from seven Australian universities, CSIRO, industry partner organisations, as well as leading international researchers, according to the university.

“Some minerals are becoming difficult to access and extract, while high usage of energy and water in processing make it expensive and environmentally demanding,” Professor Galvin said. “These pressures make it urgent that we transform the value addition of mineral processing, known as beneficiation, to achieve a step-change reduction in the environmental footprint.

“Through this investment, more than 70 PhD students and 15 post-doctoral researchers will work towards achieving ‘transformational’ solutions, working across multiple research disciplines. For the students, it offers a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to be part of a world-first project that can make a practical difference to the future of this planet.

“This new dawn will ensure a sustainable and competitive future for a critical Australian industry, involving a whole new generation of scientists and engineers.”

University of Newcastle Vice-Chancellor Professor, Alex Zelinsky AO, believes the research will lead to a sustainable future for Australia’s mining industry.

“We’re delighted to receive this significant funding, which will enable us to carry out world-leading research into developing more efficient and environmentally-friendly mining processes,” Professor Zelinsky said.

“The work of the centre can help propel us closer to zero-emission mining by doubling energy and water productivity and reducing the loss of high value metals during processing by up to 90%, helping secure the future of the metals we depend on for modern living.

“This is a prime example of how our university is at the forefront of providing solutions to major environmental issues.”