EXCURSION •
Some key themes Collaboration and solving challenges collectively were core themes . Duncan Wanblad , CEO , Anglo American told MITV , “ Very soon disruption in the mining industry will become the norm , therefore we ’ ll need to learn to get comfortable with it . More importantly , to successfully manage this upheaval and strengthen our collective resilience as countries and companies , we must act swiftly and together .”
Panel discussions did not shy away from hard truths
Duncan Wanblad , CEO , Anglo American adding his voice of disruption to address “ Building Resilience – reflecting on mining ’ s challenges and opportunities in a time of global disruption .”
and realities and focused on critical issues affecting mining and the positive disruptive change needed to drive innovation to unlock Africa ’ s mining sector potential for the benefit of all stakeholders and role players . In a press lounge panel discussion on “ combatting crime and corruption in mining ” affecting both companies and investors , all three speakers agreed that it can only be dealt with through collaboration and spoke about their company initiatives with other role players . Dr Mashego , executive director : Stakeholder Relations and Corporate Affairs at Harmony and Stephan Bullock , head of Sustainability at Anglo American Platinum , detailed the work being done with the Minerals Council , SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority to address crime and corruption . Mashego addressed the issue of illegal mining and the effect it has on mining companies , employees and communities ; while Werner Duvenhage , MD at Richards Bay Minerals addressed procurement issues and the need for transparency in community Trusts and with Trust participants .
In the wake of COP28 , Climate Change was of course in stark focus – the global mining industry is at the heart of the transition to green energy both in terms of addressing the reduction in carbon emissions caused by the heavy energy consumption of mining companies , and in terms of addressing the huge demand for green minerals and metals in other industries . In a Mining Indaba press lounge panel discussion “ What COP28 means for mining ”, Anglo American head of Sustainability Katie Ferguson highlighted the company ' s ambitious targets in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions . Adam Matthews , chief responsible investment officer of the Church of England Pensions , focused on the expectations of investors adding that they had to take a long-term view and encourage mining companies to take a responsible , credible path to a net zero future . Beyers Nel , COO Harmony Gold outlined the company ’ s response to climate change and said Harmony Gold had already installed 30MW of renewable energy that provided 6 % of Harmony ’ s peak power needs and they were looking at adding another 137MW that would cater for an additional 24 % of its needs . Dr Busia from Green Africa Minerals said a key outcome of the COP28 meeting was the establishment of a loss and damage fund that would help compensate developing nations for the impact of climate change and the need for Africa to capitalise on and do better in terms of green metals . John Mulligan , from the World Gold Council , spoke about the need for sectors to collaborate and produce innovative approaches . Michelle
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Manook , World Coal Association , emphasised the need to reframe the debate about coal ’ s role in the energy transition .
Additional highlights making waves There were a number of high-profile deals cemented at the event too – Rio Tinto ' s Simandou Project in Guinea , one of the world ’ s great iron ore projects was a case in point . After decades in development stage , it will now progress thanks to collaboration between key private and government stakeholders . Highlighting the importance of the Simandou project to Guinea , Gerards Rheinberger , MD of Rio Tinto Simandou , shared a panel with Moosa Cisse , the Guinean Minister of Economy and Finance and the governor of the Guinean central bank , Karamo Kaba .
As the world ’ s second-largest iron ore producer , Rio Tinto commented in the new Mining Indaba Mining Pulse publication that “ Simandou iron is set to enable the decarbonisation of the steel industry . According to the World Steel Association , total steel production amounted to 1.9Bt in 2022 , which is higher than the combined output of all other metals during the same period . However , the production of steel is a highly energy-intensive process and is responsible for around 8 % of total CO 2 emissions worldwide . The status quo is no longer an option .” The company has committed to partner with the steel industry to help its customers develop solutions to decarbonise their activities . “ In 2022 , our Scope 3 emissions amounted to 584 million tonnes of CO 2
, 94 % of which came from the transformation of our products by our customers . The processing of our iron ore accounted for around two thirds of this footprint . If we can reduce that footprint , we can greatly reduce the impact of sectors that are reliant on steel to create their products , from construction and aerospace to energy and the automotive sector . Our Simandou mine project , in the heart of Guinea ’ s Eastern forested region , offers us an opportunity to do just that . In fact , the Simandou deposit in Guinea contains one of the largest known untapped high-grade iron deposits in the world . With its high iron ( Fe ) content ( 65 %), and minimal impurities , Simandou is an opportunity to decrease the carbon intensity of steel production . Part of the deposit contains ore that is well suited to less energy intensive and viable refining technologies , such as direct reduction ( DRI ) or electric arc furnaces ( EAF ). With these innovative technologies , less CO 2 will be emitted during the transformation of iron into steel .”
Another highlight of Mining Indaba 2024 included the first Mining Automotive and Electronics Club which saw a variety of automotive and tech-oriented sessions that delivered a new audience to the Indaba . Sessions showcased the true importance
Increasing exploration lies at the heart of all challenges and in fact requires the most urgent attention considering a mine can take a decade or more to build from the moment a potential project is identified .
www . africanmining . co . za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • April 2024 • 19