MINING EPCM
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“ The change we are now seeing is how future-facing design criteria affect the design of new facilities .”
Fluor recently exhibited such design into a Project Execution Plan ( PEP ) for Clean TeQ Holdings ’ Sunrise Battery Materials project , in Queensland , Australia .
Weighing up the approved 2.5 Mt / y limit on pressure acid leaching ( PAL ) feed at the project , the fact that there would be surplus refining capacity in later years of the operation as ore grades begin to decline , and the fact the already acquired autoclaves – the key component of the PAL circuit – could treat up to 3.3 Mt / y of PAL feed , Fluor designed the Sunrise processing plant to readily accommodate a de-bottlenecking opportunity to support additional ore throughput after year four of operation .
The need for such futureproofing is likely to see both mining clients and mining EPCM providers shoulder a bit more risk than they would previously have been comfortable with , as Visser acknowledges .
“ Where typically mining companies have found safety in proven technologies , we ’ re likely to see more of a willingness and openness to new untested technologies and more of an interest in developments in optimisation ,” he said .
What is the reason for such a leap of faith ? Many look to the environmental , social and governmental ( ESG ), and carbon reduction initiatives miners are pursuing for the answer .
“ Technology will play an important role in setting the standards and harnessing resources and influence to develop evolving ESG practices ,” Visser said . The wider mining EPCM market agrees with such an assessment . Lawson thinks technology developments from autonomous fleets to artificial intelligence will end up playing vital roles in securing and maintaining mining companies ’ collective social licence to operate .
“ The adoption of new technologies will also help miners set and achieve ESG targets amidst growing pressures from investors and communities for more responsible mining practices that minimise fresh water consumption and reduce disturbed footprint ,” he said .
Energy transition and decarbonisation will be the key focus areas for the industry over the next few decades , Lawson predicts , with new real-time data measurement and analysis tools , and renewable and hydrogen / electric technologies potential facilitators of the required changes .
Stakeholders are looking at mining from many different perspectives and demanding change , but , at the same time , the need to reduce carbon emissions and greenhouse gases will mean the demand for metals and minerals remains , according to Rusk .
“ ESG , through carbon reduction , drives electrification , alternative energy and a renewed look at energy efficiency ,” he said . “ ESG will also drive extraction alternatives and the development of necessary applied technologies in digital communication networks , sensors and instruments , as well as data management systems and processes .”
The alternatives required to change the way the industry mines , but still produce the needed metals , will be driven to a large extent by technology and innovation from outside the mining business , Rusk expects .
Bell , meanwhile , says it will be a mix of operational and technical innovation that helps the industry realise a future where it uses less energy and water , while producing valuable commodities with lower emissions and lower costs .
It is easy to get carried away when acknowledging these catalysts for innovation , but new technologies will only gain widespread appeal across the industry if the price is right and the application is not to the detriment of project delivery .
Visser said : “ Technological innovation definitely plays a role but is by no means the silver bullet . True ‘ value add ’ and a competitive bid are still the prerequisites for mining EPCM firms .”
But to achieve the ambitious ESG and decarbonisation goals many of the mining industry leaders have set for themselves , they will inevitably have to leverage some innovation .
The mining EPCM sector , which establishes the groundwork for long-life mining
operations , is a good place to start .
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