OPERATIONS •
MINING INDABA DISRUPTS AFRICA WITH CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSION – KEY SECTOR TRENDS
Edited by Sharyn Macnamara
Elia Nandjiwa , executive : Resources Industries / Mining , at Barloworld Equipment Southern Africa unveils key sector trends at Mining Indaba 2024 .
This year ’ s 30th edition of Mining Indaba addressed the theme “ Embracing the power of positive disruption : A bold new future for African Mining ”. This bold new future will be shaped by several powerful sector trends , and the event offered a valuable opportunity for the industry to address them .
These are some of the trends highlighted from our perspective at Barloworld Equipment , a business that has been delivering construction and mining equipment to the sector for almost a century .
Energy transition minerals The move to limit global carbon emissions , as expressed in the Paris Agreement , has led to growing demands for critical energytransition minerals such as lithium , graphite , cobalt , nickel and manganese , as well as copper . These minerals are used for battery power , solar-energy , wind , hydrogen and other solutions .
Different resources require different solutions , therefore , there are growing opportunities for miners and equipment suppliers to build partnerships . Specialised equipment and technology are required to develop deposits of these energy-transition minerals . The International Energy Agency has estimated that to hit netzero globally by 2050 , the world will require six times more mineral inputs in 2040 than today . As a sector , we must work together to meet these timelines .
The ESG imperative Responsible corporate citizenship is now more important for mining companies than ever before . To secure their social licence to operate , they must meaningfully drive social development in their host communities , manage their operations in an environmentally sustainable way and also give their staff and community a stake in their operations .
As our understanding of social and environmental impacts evolves , we are also finding better ways of achieving these critical objectives . Broader stakeholder engagement is now understood as being vital . Water management too , is a critical competence .
And despite the urgency of the energy transition , the idea that it be a “ Just Transition ” is fundamental . In an economy like South Africa ’ s , the lives and livelihoods of millions of people depend on the coal sector . Transitioning from this hydrocarbon economy must be managed extremely sensitively .
Energy-efficient mining Mining businesses are looking for more energyefficient equipment solutions for their own operations . Be it generators , solar micro-grids , hybridpower wheel loaders or built-in load-efficiency software , there are many ways for mining operations to achieve both carbon and production efficiency .
It is now common cause that renewable energy can be more cost effective
Elia Nandjiwa , executive : Resources than hydrocarbon energy , Industries / Mining , at Barloworld
so building an onsite solar Equipment Southern Africa . micro-grid , for instance , is not just environmentally responsible – it enhances productivity .
A successful example of this was the 7MW CAT solar microgrid solution employed at the B2Gold mine in Otjikoto , Namibia . The microgrid plant and monitoring system ( s ) enabled the operation to reduce fuel expenses , lower utility bills , decrease emissions and reduce the total cost of ownership while increasing energy efficiency in a challenging environment .
Renewable solutions are often more affordable than hydrocarbon energy from a life-cycle cost perspective and are more efficient .
The advisory opportunity Mines are complex operations looking to achieve a simple objective as efficiently as possible . There are therefore growing opportunities for consultants and advisors who can support mines in balancing these considerations .
Asset-solution advisors conduct site visits , fleet audits , fleet application studies and condition-monitoring checks to advise customers on how they might achieve their production and sustainability objectives through the equipment and technology choices they make .
Asset management solutions employ technologies such as digital twinning , data analysis , operation modelling and purpose-built
Supplied by Barloworld Equipment Southern Africa www . africanmining . co . za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • April 2024 • 23