As the Mandela Mining Precinct marks its third year since inception, it has made some strides in achieving much-needed modernisation in the mining industry.

Its work stands as a notable example of the benefits of collaboration, speakers noted during the precinct’s virtual symposium, held on June 21.

The precinct is a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the Minerals Council South Africa and is managed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Minerals Council CEO Roger Baxter acclaimed during the symposium that the industry garnered considerable benefits through collaboration, such as when pursuing ambitious health and safety targets, seeking gender parity and achieving groundbreaking technological advances.

This spirit of collaboration, he said, was what enabled the precinct to become a realisation, with this considerable PPP now serving as an example for collaboration in an innovation ecosystem.

Baxter emphasised the importance of the industry embracing and being at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

He said this worked in two ways. Firstly, the technologies in 4IR require mining resources, and, secondly, mining needs technologies to engender lowers costs and higher productivity.

He highlighted five areas for the industry and Precinct to consider moving forward: the development of a people-centred 4IR-enabled modernisation strategy; a commitment to long-term, accelerated, transforming, innovative capacity building programmes to restore the country as a global mining leader; optimising and growing PPP; exploring innovation infrastructure such as a test mine; and a multisource growing mining innovation investment by all players.

CSIR CEO Dr Thulani Dlamini stressed that, owing to the nature of mining activity, emphasis must continue to be on innovating in ways that address the environmental impact of the industry.

He said that, as part of one of its strategic objectives to improve the competitiveness of high-income industries in the country, the CSIR had set up a 'learning factory platform' to address the skills gap needed in digital transformation in certain industries, including mining.

Dlamini emphasised that the transformation of underground mining in South Africa was an imperative, if the country was to remain globally competitive and  grow the mining sector.

Moreover, he highlighted the importance of identifying those technologies that were suitable for the country’s mining environment, and localising these to speed up the digitalisation process.

He mentioned one innovation in this regard as being a collision avoidance system, developed in the CSIR learning factory and which intends to drive zero harm in the industry.

Dlamini mentioned the importance of the precinct, noting that its PPP model over the past three years had delivered on the research and development needed to make the sector a sunrise sector once more.

DSI director-general Dr Phil Mjwara highlighted that the precinct was working to revitalise mining research, development and innovation in the country to ensure the sustainability of the industry.

This is implemented through six research-based programmes: mechanised drilling and blasting, nonexplosive rock breaking, the longevity of current mines, advanced orebody knowledge, real-time information management systems and, lastly, the successful application of technologies centred around people.

Mjwara mentioned some highlights from the precinct thus far had been the continuous development of research, development and innovation networks, as well as partnerships with universities. He said this must continue to be encouraged and advanced.

Moreover, he pointed out the facilitation of the Isidingo Drill Design challenge, from which two new rock drill prototypes – which are easier to operate with improved environmental and operator benefits – were developed.

He also mentioned the launch of the Technology Availability and Readiness Atlas - an online portal of locally manufactured mining equipment designed to assist the industry in achieving increased local content and manufacturing.

There is also the development of the South Africa Atlas, which he noted should be enhanced and maintained.

Mjwara reiterated the DSI’s commitment to the precinct.

RESOURCE ATLAS

Meanwhile, University of Johannesburg researcher Sarah Pein outlined the National Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) and Au (gold) Resource Atlas project.

She said the aim of the project is to identify unmined gold and PGM resources that could potentially by mined using modern or alternative mining methods.

The country’s mining industry is considered to be lacking a compilation of the remaining PGM and gold resources and the identification of green- and brownfield areas for future exploration and mining.

Moreover, there is a need for the compilation to categorise the resources in terms of geological and geotechnical characteristics, with the long-term objective of reversing the decline of the mining industry.

The research team has developed a custom-designed database and a visualisation map of captured data.

Twenty-three areas, from the South Rand and Natal, to Kraaipan and Pilgrim’s Rest are covered in the visualisation maps.

Pein said the Atlas needed to be continuously updated.