IM 2022 August 22 | Page 10

WORLD PROSPECTS
maintenance personnel or material areas . A very high level of safety is incorporated meaning A trains are only permitted on certain lines and the same for B trains . The trains effectively have the potential to be fully autonomous capable with the backbone in place but with operators there initially running them in semi-autonomous mode .
The mine wants the locos now for efficient materials and personnel movement but also some early ore movement during development works .
They also want to be able to commission and check underground crushers , feeders and the loading stations . https :// claytonequipment . co . uk ; www . glencore . com

Komatsu and Codelco agree to conduct trial of new mining TBM

Komatsu Ltd , through its subsidiary ,

Komatsu Cummins Chile Ltda , has agreed with Codelco , the major state-owned copper mining company in Chile , to collaborate on trialling a new tunnel excavation method using Komatsu ’ s newly developed Mining Tunnel
Boring Machine ( TBM ) starting in 2024 at
Codelco ’ s Chuquicamata Underground mine in
Chile . Through trial use of the new machine ,
Komatsu and Codelco aim to speed up the potential introduction of this innovative technology .
Demand for underground mining equipment is expected to increase along with global demand for mineral resources that require increasingly deeper mining operations . Komatsu developed the first TBM for rock excavation in 1963 for use in civil engineering in Japan . Since that time , the company has introduced a cumulative total of more than 2,300 TBMs ( including its Micro
Tunneling Machine ) to the market .
Based on Komatsu ’ s experience in excavation , the Mining TBM is equipped with new technologies that enable adaptability to small curves , reversing , and passing intersections in hard rock tunnel excavation . Previously , use of
TBM has generally been limited to excavating nearly straight tunnels . This new technology improves the flexibility of the equipment and
enables excavation of tunnels according to the more unique designs of each mine .
The Mining TBM works by continuously performing a series of processes , such as excavating rock with disc cutters and discharging the chipped rock backwards with belt conveyors , while fortifying the excavated tunnel wall .
Excavation with disc cutters improves tunnel strength and stability by creating a circular tunnel shape with smooth walls with less damage to the excavated tunnel ( compared to the drilling and blasting method ).
To support customers ’ needs for increasingly sustainable ways of mining , the new machine runs off electricity , does not require the use of blasting and performs a series of tunnel excavation processes with a single machine , reducing the number of vehicles required overall .
The result is a new excavation option that reduces the creation of greenhouse gases and particulate matter emissions for an improved underground environment that requires less
ventilation than other methods . At the same time , it significantly increases the productivity of personnel associated with tunnel excavation work compared to conventional methods .
In response to climate change and the need for solutions for environmental issues , Komatsu has been focusing on the development of equipment for the future of underground hard rock mining under the slogan of “ No Blasting ”, “ No Batch ”,
“ No Diesel .” The Mining TBM and the new method embody this forward-looking approach and seek to help customers improve safety , environmental friendliness , and productivity
( shorter tunnel construction period and lower tunnel construction costs ) at underground mines , and will also help them achieve a revolution in their mining operations .
Per the company ’ s ongoing mid-term management plan “ DANTOTSU Value – Together , to ‘ The Next ’ for sustainable growth ”, Komatsu is working to expand offerings for underground hard rock mining , creating new value for customers with the development of new equipment , processes and technologies that will help operations step forward to the next stage for the workplace of the future and provide a more sustainable future for the next generation . www . codelco . com ; www . komatsu . com

Carbon neutral conveyors for BHP

China ’ s Wuxi Boton has announced the world ’ s first carbon neutral conveyor belts for delivery to BHP ’ s Spence copper mine in Chile in August as part of an exclusive pilot project between the two companies .

The two companies jointly developed this pilot project , under which the conveyor belts were verified by SGS , a leading testing , inspection and certification company , as meeting the requirements of PAS 2060:2014 ( specification for the demonstration of carbon neutrality ).
SGS awarded the world ’ s first certificate of “ Achievement of Carbon Neutrality for Steel Cord Rubber Conveyor Belt ” to a batch of belts produced by Boton for BHP . The conveyor belts will be shipped to BHP ’ s Spence copper mine , where they will be used in the production and transportation of Spence mining products to customers around the world , including China .
The scope of the pilot project was for Wuxi Boton , as the incumbent contractor for BHP ’ s operations at both Minerals Australia and Minerals
America , to select the conveyor belts to be ordered by BHP and identify how to offset the estimated greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions associated with the production of those conveyor belts using highquality carbon offsets prior to delivery .
BHP ’ s Group Procurement Officer , James Agar , said : “ Wuxi Boton have been a reliable partner to BHP for over eight years , supplying high-quality conveyor belts to our assets in Australia and Chile . Both companies are committed to mitigating climate change in accordance with their respective climate targets and goals . This shared vision of a better world led Wuxi Boton , in December 2021 , to extend the offer of an exclusive pilot to deliver a carbon neutral conveyor belt to BHP .
“ The partnership with Wuxi Boton has been invaluable in helping BHP verify the feasibility of using high-quality carbon offsets to GHG emissions in our supply chain ( Scope 3 ) and grow the potential demand for supplying ‘ traced ’, ‘ low carbon ’, or ‘ carbon neutral ’ products
amongst our suppliers .”
Wuxi Boton ’ s Chairman , Zhifang Bao , said : “ It is difficult for any enterprise to achieve lowcarbon transformation on its own . Only by building a global platform , co-operating with the whole industry chain , and jointly exploring lowcarbon technologies and road maps can we reach the other shore .
“ Therefore , joint innovation is an inevitable choice . Instead of passively accepting , it is better to take the initiative to lead , which is a very important choice faced by enterprises all over the world . We are pleased to see that the partnership between BHP and Boton has expanded from a single business level to a strategic synergy level . In the journey of global energy transition , leading companies , including Boton and BHP , are jointly working towards building a more sustainable future .” www . bhp . com
8 International Mining | AUGUST 2022