EXPLOSIVES AND BLASTING
focus is on completing the current field program safely and making sure it has a practical operating model before broader deployment.
Related to this, Dyno Nobel has set Scope 3 reduction targets for its Americas and Asia Pacific business units, and it has made significant progress toward them, according to Terry.
“ Dyno Nobel’ s DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY technology is one solution that can reduce greenhouse gas( GHG) emissions for our customers,” he said.“ DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY gives operators the ability to vary the density of emulsion based on rock characteristics, placing the explosives energy precisely where it’ s needed to break the rock as desired. By finetuning the energy placement, operations can improve their control over blast results, including GHG emissions.”
To substantiate DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY’ s effect on GHG reduction, Dyno Nobel conducted a project that saw a customer change from ANFO to DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY. Over a one-year period, the site reduced their GHG emissions by 7 %, which was subject to Limited Assurance by an independent third party, according to Terry. He added:“ We are also continuing development work on lower-carbon product options, including emulsions manufactured using renewable diesel. As with any product change, the focus is on validating performance, supply reliability and customer value before broader use.”
When it comes to automation of the processes Dyno Nobel is involved in underground, the company can reflect on a significant agreement with TesMan to deliver a safer solution for underground development loading.
Announced earlier this year, the strategic partnership between the two companies combines Dyno Nobel’ s on-the-ground services and explosives products with TesMan’ s robotic technologies and equipment, with the aim being to unlock expanded capabilities to enhance remote loading operations and reduce exposure at the face.
Terry explained:“ Using well-tested standoff loading equipment techniques, the loading of explosives can be done with the operators at a safe distance of more than 5 m back from the face, whilst at the same time improving overall cycle time.”
Dyno Nobel is currently working on introducing this technology beyond the existing trial customers in Sudbury, Canada, where the technology was developed, he added.
On the surface automation side, the company’ s work continues to focus on reducing personnel exposure on the bench while maintaining safe and reliable
explosives delivery.“ That requires practical integration across products, equipment, controls and operating procedures,” Terry said, explaining that the company is continuing to advance that work.
Surface initiation milestone
Austin Powder has also been engaging in projects to advance automation of surface and underground blasting processes.
In terms of the latter, it achieved a historic surface-initiated underground blast at the Nyrstar-owned Immel zinc mine in Tennessee, USA, this year.
The historic surface-initiated underground blast at the Nyrstar-owned Immel zinc mine in Tennessee, USA, involved 1,350 Austin Powder E * STAR electronic detonators( verified and successfully fired) for a plus-72,600 t blast from Stope 25-77-W
This mine faced the challenge of safely firing large underground stope blasts while minimising personnel exposure and improving control, consistency and documentation. As blast sizes increased into the hundreds, and then thousands, of detonators, Nyrstar needed a solution that could verify every detonator, reduce misfire risk, integrate with existing mine IT infrastructure, and support regulatory and internal reporting requirements, all without compromising production efficiency.
Having established a partnership back in 2020 focused specifically on the use of Austin Powder’ s E * STAR electronic detonators to gain improved timing accuracy and flexibility for large stope blasts, the two companies have progressively been pushing this solution to its limits.
The E * STAR Electronic Initiation System is an advanced, programmable blasting solution that replaces traditional pyrotechnic detonators with microchip-based technology to deliver pinpoint timing accuracy, enhanced safety features and rigorous circuit testing, according to Austin Powder.
Allowing for customised delays up to 20,000 milliseconds in 1 millisecond increments, the solution can improve rock fragmentation while significantly reducing vibration and air over-pressure.
By 2024-2025, the collaboration between the two companies had matured into the deployment of the E * STAR CUBE
centralised blasting system. Austin Powder implemented the system, supported by E * STAR electronic detonators and pumpable emulsion, using a disciplined, phased approach led by the Austin Powder technical team. Key elements of the solution included:
• Integration of the CUBE system directly into Nyrstar’ s mine LAN using a dedicated VLAN( VLAN 207);
• Methodical testing with dummy detonators before live production;
• Full electronic verification of every detonator prior to firing;
• Remote, surface-based initiation via Ethernet-connected laptop; and
• Precision timing with ± 1 millisecond accuracy.
International Mining | AUGUST 2026