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• MINING INDABA
Supplied by HPE
HPE ' s Isidingo Drill in action – making precision drilling easy with much lower impact on the operator .
Eugene Els CEO at SAMPEC member company Afromix , points out , “ For many years , mining companies have been attempting to lower their carbon impact . I predict that as more businesses actively search for renewable energy sources , there will be a shift away from using fossil fuels as a source of energy . There is a drive underway globally to acquire battery metals , like lithium , and the industry has already experienced a significant up-swing .”
This local OEM has implemented a ‘ Move to Zero Initiative ’ to achieve their Sustainable Development Goals ( SDG ) – to take their manufacturing facility completely off-grid by 2030 . Afromix head office is already powered by a 55.4MWh solar power array , diminishing the company ’ s reliance on the municipal energy grid . The company has also adopted a ‘ reduce and recycle employee pledge ’ policy .
As the world moves towards more localised and sustainable supply chains , many foreign OEMs have opted to acquire or partner with local equipment manufacturing companies for supply into the Africa region as well as set up local value add companies . South Africa is a leader in mining equipment technologies and is perfectly situated to act as the supply hub into the continent , where exploration for , and mining of , energy transition minerals is expected to expand significantly . The African Continental Free Trade Area ( AfCFTA ) will facilitate the development of regional supply chains , building local economies and curbing carbon emissions . South Africa must ward off deindustrialisation and secure its upstream mining value chain , particularly in products and services in certain fields of historical dominance in mining and mining equipment , safety and technology for deep-level mining and narrow-seam mining .
Critical minerals will play an increasingly important role in the country ’ s industrial diversification and technological capabilities development in the green energy sector , and Africa needs its own policy on mining and beneficiation of critical minerals if the continent wants to avoid having the rest of the world control the countries that own the minerals .
Capital remains the second highest risk factor , as the mining sector grapples to fund the expansions required to meet increasing demand for minerals crucial to the energy transition , according to the EY Top 10 Business Risks and Opportunities for Mining and Metals in 2024 Report . A continental effort is required to ensure investors are sufficiently confident in the political stability and security of their licence to operate . •
References : 1 . https :// www . ey . com / en _ za / mining-metals / risks-opportunities
Mining equipment innovators play a vital role in the green transition to which the mines are committed , and contribute to the growth of the economy , as well as the creation of skilled jobs .
SAMPEC and MEMSA , member-based industry clusters , work with a wide range of innovation partners such as the Mandela Mining Precinct to help drive innovation and competitiveness in the local mining equipment manufacturing industry through information sharing , co-ordinated activities and facilitating technology development partnerships .
One such collaborative initiative is MiningTARA - Technology Availability and Readiness Atlas , a unique online mining equipment database with a user-friendly equipment search and filter interface managed by MEMSA and funded by the Mandela Mining Precinct , a partnership between the Department of Science and Innovation ( DSI ) and Minerals Council of South Africa .
To access this portal , which allows local OEMs to showcase technologies including technical specifications and images , demonstrating the range , quality and sophistication of equipment that is locally manufactured and available – or under development – see miningtara . co . za .
To get up-to-date business intelligence in the mining , energy and equipment industries
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34 • African Mining • January 2024 www . africanmining . co . za