Mining companies operating in Africa must innovate to address productivity challenges. If not, they face the risk of perishing, says African Mining Network chairperson Yolanda Torrisi.

Speaking to Mining Weekly this month, she explains that, although innovation is the current trend in global mining, it does not mean reinventing current opencast mining operations, incurring massive expenditure or taking years to implement. “Many innovations available now could be bolted on to existing operations for almost instant productivity benefits.”

Productivity issues that have arisen include poor ore quality, with declining ore grades and impurities resulting in complex processing, and the need for controlled blending. Another challenge is ore availability. Miners are forced further underground, or to more remote locations, as many surface and openpit resources have been depleted.

Torrisi adds that the shortage of skilled labour and increasing labour costs, as well as increased pressure from social and environmental regulations, puts further strain on opencast mining activities.

Embracing Technology
She emphasises that technology not only results in increased productivity and improved margins but also enhances necessary safety and environmental measures and compliance. “Emerging digital technologies are a particular area that miners can now embrace and these can be implemented in various parts of the opencast mining value chain.”

She explains that digitalisation encompasses technologies such as wireless communications, real-time analytics, machine learning, commodity sensors, machine automation and embedded systems.

Industry sectors worldwide have largely embraced the digital age, according to Torrisi, but the mining industry across the globe has been hesitant to follow suit. However, by embracing the digital age, third-platform technologies, such as cloud storage, mobility, analytics and social networking, will have the potential to help mining companies embrace innovation, become more cost effective and improve productivity, she says.

This will be achieved through digital technologies’ability to connect and intelligently manage materials, assets and people within the execution of a mine plan. All three of these aspects will be tracked and accompanied by real-time data. Asset tracking has been used for some time, with workplace tracking becoming a priority for many companies. Torrisi enthuses that ore tracking will be the next step.

“Combining connectivity and asset management with innovation accelerator technologies, including the Internet of Things, three-dimensional printing, cognitive processing and next-generation security, will empower companies to reinvent existing business processes and, thereby, support agile and dynamic operations.”

Torrisi emphasises that those involved in the mining industry must enable processes beyond the age-old traditions that propelled the industry to where it is today, as many of the traditional processes are no longer part of the industry’s “recipe for success”.