Comment
Technology
makes coal
mining great
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@LeonLouw3
llouw@interactmedia.co.za
A
mid lower international prices and
lacklustre demand for minerals
like gold and platinum, coal is the
new beacon of hope for the South African
mining industry. Despite campaigns to
taint its image, coal will drive Africa’s
economic development.
There certainly is room for alternative
sources of energy, but coal should remain
the backbone of any developing country’s
energy strategy, as it is in Asia, India,
and the Middle East, which in fact has
become a huge market for South Africa’s
coal. The demand for coal has created new
opportunities in South Africa for junior
mining companies like Black Royalty
Minerals, Wescoal, and Canyon Coal, and
rumour has it that more new projects are
in the pipeline. Also, Nigeria, Zimbabwe,
Botswana, Mozambique, and parts of East
Africa hold significant coal deposits, which
will add to the growing tonnes of coal
exports from Africa.
The coal mining industry has put in a
great deal of effort to reduce the adverse
impacts of coal on the environment.
Moreover, companies like Exxaro, for
example, are leaders in developing ‘mines of
the future’. I recently attended the opening
of Exxaro’s impressive digitised project in
Belfast in the Mpumalanga province of
South Africa. If this is where mining is
heading, it bodes well in terms of providing
jobs for technology-savvy millennials. It is
a fitting example of integrating data and
technology and introduces a new way of
thinking about the future of mining.
The Belfast coal project is on target to
start producing its first thermal coal in
2020. It is the first mine in South Africa
to have a ‘digital twin’ (a complete digital
replica of reality). The project is more than
20 years in the making and Exxaro will pay
about R3.3-billion to develop the mine.
Belfast will unearth close to 2.7 million
tonnes per annum of what is thought to be
the last big reserves of A-grade, high-yield
coal reserves in Mpumalanga. The mine has
an estimated life of 17 years.
According to Johan Meyer, executive
head: projects and technology at Exxaro,
the mine will use the latest technologies
to deploy a digital mine operations
management system. “This system will
generate insights and reports to improve
decision-making that will reduce the
mine’s costs and ensure it remains low
on the cost curve, while increasing
productivity,” says Meyer.
The mine’s ‘digital twin’ is a complete
digital replica of reality, allowing
relevant people to connect to it from
anywhere in the world. Even specialist
consultants and subject matter experts
can view the operations and data
and make recommendations without
physically visiting the mine. Benefits of
this hyper-connectivity include reduced
downtime and increased safety.
Meyer says artificial intelligence would
eventually manage the mine and make
decisions on its own. “This is where the 6-D
and 7-D capabilities that are being built
into the project will make their real value
felt,” he says.
The Belfast operation is Exxaro’s first
greenfields mine since 2007, when Inyanda,
near Witbank, was developed. According to
Mxolisi Mgojo, CEO at Exxaro, it might
not be the last: “We have a long-term
journey in coal. It remains one of the pillars
of producing energy in our country.”
Leon
Editor
SEPTEMBER 2018 MINING MIRROR
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