AUSTRALIAN METS
water ,” the Accelerating Sustainable Mining report authors stated . “ Analysis showed that the mass of reagent addition was more than 34 times the mass of the target metal load . This disproportionate reagent use increased the mass of the waste sludge being produced and requiring subsequent disposal by approximately 97 %.”
Trial results from the use of the OCRA process effectively removed the target metals of concern – cobalt , zinc , nickel and manganese – below the regulatory authority ’ s enforced limits , allowing discharge to the local sensitive environment . In fact , the OCRA process reduced the concentrations of the priority contaminants by 99.9 % for cobalt , 99.4 % for zinc , 98.9 % for nickel and 78.1 % for manganese .
“ In addition to meeting the priority pollutant criteria , the OCRA process also removed 89.6 % of copper , 88.6 % of cadmium and 72 % of iron present in the water ,” the report stated . “ Copper and cadmium were removed to below laboratorydetection limits .”
Results showed the replacement of the clients ’ traditional process with the OCRA process would lead to a reduction of lime usage by greater than 80 %, and a 69 % reduction in sludge production , providing significant cost reductions in reagent procurement and waste management .
Another company focused on this area with global appeal is Envirosuite Ltd , which recently became the beneficiary of a A $ 10 million ($ 6.7 million ) investment from Hitachi Construction Machinery Co Ltd ( HCM ) for an approximate 12 % equity holding .
Envirosuite provides real-time environmental remote monitoring and predictive technology solutions for industrial operations . It calls itself an environmental intelligence technology company that helps the mining , industrial , aviation , waste and wastewater sectors manage operational challenges to reduce risk and improve productivity while protecting and strengthening community and stakeholder relationships .
Envirosuite ’ s “ powerful solutions combine operational data , evidence-based scientific methods and predictive meteorological models , and real-time monitoring of air quality , dust , noise , odour , vibration and water quality to provide decision support on optimal operations management ”, the company says .
Envirosuite , HCM says , is the only global fullservice provider of environmental intelligence solutions and a leader in its target sectors . “ Using Envirosuite solutions , mining customers can reduce environmental impact and demonstrate responsible mining practices while achieving productivity goals .”
This collaboration with Envirosuite is described as “ a cornerstone of Hitachi
Construction Machinery ’ s strategy to address global demand around ESG and greenhouse gas ( GHG ) challenges in mining ”, leveraging Envirosuite ’ s industrial technology , HCM ’ s knowledge of mining as well as the fleet management and digital mining solutions of Wenco , a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Construction Machinery .
Going forward , funds from this strategic investment will be used to advance Envirosuite industrial software solutions and market penetration , particularly in the mining sector , with a specific focus on delivering solutions to solve ESG and GHG challenges for mining operators . HCM will enhance solution proposals that lead to safety and reducing environmental impact while maintaining the productivity of mining sites by using Envirosuite ’ s solutions into its offerings , it says .
Community in mine
K2fly Limited ’ s portfolio of resource governance software solutions is being used across the globe , with more than 900 sites in over 60 countries having leveraged one of its products to either retain / achieve their social licence to operate , improve their resource governance or simplify their public reporting .
“ Our software provides assurance that disclosures are tightly aligned with operational activities and that the process is sustainably embedded throughout the entire business ,” the company says .
K2fly ’ s global exploits have been spotted by the technology investor crowd , with the company recently entering a Scheme Implementation Deed with Argyle Bidco Pty Limited , a wholly-owned subsidiary of Accel-KKR , under which Accel-KKR will acquire the company .
Upon announcing this planned transaction , Accel-KKR ’ s Managing Director , Dean Jacobson , said : “ Accel-KKR believes K2fly ’ s success is a result of its differentiated product in sectors with
Envirosuite provides real-time environmental remote monitoring and predictive technology solutions for industrial operations . This includes Omnis , the company ’ s air emissions modelling and noise reporting environmental software
strong industry tailwinds . Highly complex and regulated sectors such as mining , utilities and oil & gas are increasingly facing pressures to do right on behalf of its customers , employees and other stakeholders . K2fly ’ s robust governance , tracking and reporting can result in stronger compliance , higher operational efficiency , better stakeholder transparency and generally be a vital competitive advantage for companies that operate in these industries .”
One of K2fly ’ s more recent mining contract awards came back in June , with the ASX-listed company being contracted by Lundin Mining Corporation to supply the Resource Disclosure solution software at Lundin ’ s corporate level , covering all material reporting sites for the miner .
Resource Disclosure is the cloud first rewritten replacement for K2fly ’ s RCubed solution and is the only solution in its class globally that is commercial off the shelf , according to Nic Pollock , CEO of K2fly .
Zero carbon
When it comes to decarbonising the mining sector , Australian METS firms are punching above their weight , with a number of companies engaged with global mining companies aiming to achieve net-zero operations .
3ME Technology is one of these pioneers , acting as an advanced systems integrator and electrification partner for off-highway vehicles in sectors such as mining .
It offers turnkey solutions that include ruggedised lithium-ion batteries , electric-vehicle traction systems and advanced remote data acquisition and supervision systems .
“ We have the capabilities to deliver end-to-end electrification solutions from prototype to
12 International Mining | OCTOBER 2024