After a hugely successful first two Electric Mine conferences – Toronto, Canada, in 2019, and Stockholm, Sweden, in 2022 – things have really moved up another level with The Electric Mine 2023, which will return to North America in May 2023 fully charged with brand new content and a world-class speaker list.  The Electric Mine 2023 is being held in Tucson, Arizona, USA, in the Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa from May 23-25, 2023, in a new extended three-day format across two rooms.

In the main conference room, we will cover Surface Mining on Day 1, Underground Mining on Day 2 and Mine Energy Infrastructure on Day 3. In the breakout room, a series of Showcase Sponsors will give one-hour long deep dives into their vision and strategy for the electric mine on Day 1 and 2. Day 3 will be reserved for our In-Pit Crushing and Conveying event, which now becomes an integral part of The Electric Mine event – richly deserved given its importance in helping mines reduce diesel usage and increase efficiency. Finally, there will be a much-enlarged exhibition of 20 booths at the conference, showcasing the products and solutions needed to electrify above and below-ground.

In keeping with the proven format, all the presentations will focus primarily on technology development and application, illustrated, where possible, by real mines and real project examples – what International Mining Events are known for.

We are confident this event remains by far the most global and comprehensive arena for mine operators, equipment suppliers, consultants and others with a vested interest to come together and get the industry where it needs to be to meet interim and final emissions targets.

So why Tucson? First, the immediate area is home to both Caterpillar’s Tucson Proving Ground and Komatsu’s Arizona Proving Grounds (AZPG) – which are firmly at the centre of global zero emissions and autonomous mining truck development today: both technologies going hand in hand. We are honoured and excited to have these two global surface and underground mining equipment majors as the lead Platinum Sponsors for the event; with both having keynote presenters – Caterpillar’s Group President for Resource Industries Denise Johnson will take the stage, with a Komatsu senior executive speaker to be announced in due course.

The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, Tucson, Arizona

From a mines perspective, the region is just next door to Nevada’s Carlin Trend underground and surface gold mining complexes, while the landmark Resolution Copper underground mine is in Arizona, plus some world-class copper mines including Bagdad, Sierrita, Safford and Morenci. Up in Utah to the north is Rio Tinto’s Kennecott operation – a site that has mooted an electrification move.

While Tucson will play host to the event, The Electric Mine 2023’s scope is very much global – we expect strong attendance and participation from all the world’s mining hotspots including Canada, Australia, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa, among others.

We are also happy to reveal two other equipment giants – Sandvik and Epiroc – as the event Gold Sponsors. Tucson is just one state over from Sandvik’s underground battery-electric equipment development and production hub in Camarillo, California. The incoming Sandvik Mining & Rock Solutions President will take the stage as one of the keynote speakers. Epiroc has well established surface and underground service centres in Elko and Battle Mountain, which Jess Kindler, President Parts & Services, will no doubt highlight during his own keynote.

Onto the Showcase Sponsor slots, where we have Cummins and Wabtec in place already. Cummins, of course, is a leading player in the most efficient large diesel mining engines right up to the QSK95, which are already able to use HVO as an emissions-saving fuel option. It is also playing a key role in the development of other powertrain solutions able to run on e-fuels, hydrogen or other alternatives, and, of course, battery-electric systems. Watch this space for announcements on Cummins speakers. Wabtec is already a leader in electric drive solutions in mining and has played a leading role in the development and delivery of trolley assist haulage projects in recent years. We will hear from Bappa Banerjee, Wabtec VP Mining Equipment, during Day 1 of the event as well as other Wabtec speakers in their showcase.

We also already have a Green Sponsor on board – this category provides companies with the ability to highlight their leadership expertise in certain areas of the mine electrification dynamic. Stantec will chair one of the Day 2 underground-focused sessions with a speaker to be announced in the coming weeks. Stantec, of course, is also heavily involved in mining energy infrastructure, the main Day 3 subject, as indicated by its 2021 acquisition of Australia’s Engenium.

Over the coming weeks and months, we will announce many more speakers and partners, including from the mining industry itself; as well as adding more sponsors and exhibitors to the line-up. Please consult www.theelectricmine.com to register, book accommodation and follow updates on the program.

We look forward to seeing you in Tucson!