MINING SOFTWARE
focused on the E and G of ESG – for the market .
“ Sandvik software solutions help customers to run their operations more efficiently than before ,” he said . “ As an example , the OptiMine software platform , and the new modules launched in recent years , provide a real-time view on what ’ s going on in an underground mine , including tools like short interval scheduling and production tracking .”
This transparency helps reduce mining risks , increase equipment use and improve safety in many parts of the mining operation , according to Pulli .
“ By making operations more predictable and optimised , process waste is removed and this , obviously , has a positive impact on a mine ’ s environmental footprint ,” he said .
Further optimisation – from mine planning to operations and back – is likely to be developed that will further improve the environmental footprint , while new software capabilities to develop digital twins of the mines will help customers identify and control potential hazards and risks before they materialise , Pulli predicted .
“ One example is software that will help customers design and build fully-electrified mines ,” he said , referencing the incoming abilities of Deswik ’ s software .
More broadly , he saw the growth of the company ’ s wider offering – focused on automation , electrification and digitalisation – as having a “ positive impact on both productivity and ESG ”.
Advancing sustainable software solutions
RPMGlobal is all too aware of the influence ESG issues are having on the mining software space , with many of its solutions factoring in all three elements .
The company sees almost every product in the mining space being developed to incorporate ESG objectives of its customers , noting that very few software areas do not link to an organisation ' s ESG goals .
In November , for example , the company further advanced its simulation platforms , HAULSIM and SIMULATE , to support hybrid vehicles that are powered by green hydrogen or hybrid diesel .
The hybrid vehicle functionality , developed in partnership with Tier-One miners and OEMs within the mining industry , enables users to simulate and test multiple scenarios including vehicles that use hydrogen or hybrid diesel , according to RPM . This is particularly useful for organisations looking to decarbonise their mining operations that are after a way to quantify potential options , the company said .
The hydrogen / hybrid diesel additions came on top of the company , earlier in 2021 , bringing battery-electric and trolley-assist simulation into the HAULSIM and SIMULATE fold following two haulage electrification proof of concept studies for a major mining company in Australia and for a client in Indonesia .
RPM ’ s simulation solutions use a discrete event simulation engine specifically designed for the mining industry , contrasted with the base case simulation solutions the industry typically uses as a yardstick to measure any changes to the haulage network , road rules , mine layout or vehicles .
Richard Mathews , Chief Executive Officer of RPMGlobal , said the global decarbonisation effort has created demand for RPM ’ s simulation solutions that can assist with “ answering questions that you simply can ’ t answer in a spreadsheet ”.
He added : “ With mining companies across the world pledging to quantifiably improve their decarbonisation efforts towards net-zero targets , software solutions that can measure and quantify the potential benefits of using lower emission options that are available in the market are super important .”
The latest software release also included several other developments such as interaction rules for autonomous vehicles , upgrades to electric vehicle infrastructure simulations , additional microservices to evaluate alternative options remotely ( server or cloud ) and more detailed reporting for electric vehicles .
RPM is facilitating industry adoption by offering usage of the software and training free of charge to Charge On Innovation Challenge participants . This challenge came about because of BHP , Rio Tinto , Vale and Austmine recognising the mining industry needs to be at the forefront of tackling climate change . It is aimed at encouraging innovative technology development that will support the mining industry ’ s decarbonisation efforts .
RPM set about affecting change within the
RPMGlobal ’ s hybrid vehicle functionality , developed in partnership with Tier-One miners and OEMs within the mining industry , enables users to simulate and test multiple scenarios including vehicles that use hydrogen or hybrid diesel , according to the company
wider ESG mining sphere before this recent simulation addition .
In 2021 alone , the company acquired two ESGfocused consultancies – Nitro and Blueprint Environmental Strategies – in addition to bolting on environmental disturbance modelling and reporting functionality to its mine scheduling products , XPAC Solutions ; and creating an Emissions Management Software solution with the Eden Suite deal .
The latter deal brought with it a proven technology platform for miners to track and forecast their carbon footprint from their mining activities , while the addition of Nitro to its offering resulted in the creation of a dedicated ESG division led by Ngaire Tranter , the former CEO and founder of Nitro .
Tranter told IM back in September that on top of new or acquired products , some of the company ’ s existing solutions could be used to track core ESG metrics , referencing the potential of financial budgeting tools from XERAS Enterprise for future emissions budgeting and pit simulation tools for mine rehabilitation and closure studies .
Supporting ‘ sustainable innovation ’
Dassault Systèmes and its GEOVIA brand are convinced the incorporation of simulation technology to test and validate scenarios in the virtual world will ensure mining companies are able to make prudent investments in their transition to the zero-carbon technology needed to achieve many of their environmental goals . The good thing for miners is many of the building blocks required to hit such targets are already in place , Jeff Hamilton , GEOVIA WW
14 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2022