MINING SOFTWARE
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 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 Strategy and Alliances Senior Director , says .
“ Overall , our tools aim to help customers model , simulate , optimise and monitor their operations ,” he told IM . “ While many of today ’ s tools were not originally designed around sustainability , the processes and how they are applied can already add sustainable value .”
He provides an example from the GEOVIA Strategic Mine Planning solution , a platform that can not only provide more efficient mine designs and optimised production plans over the long term , but also incorporate emission reduction and closure and rehabilitation plans to understand the mine ’ s ecological impact and how best to minimise its footprint . This is all while still generating improved net present value for a mining company ’ s investments .
“ In addition , the GEOVIA MineSched solution enables miners to optimise the short-term operations and analyse multiple scenarios involving waste in order to reduce the impact of material handling from energy usage , emissions and cost perspectives ,” Hamilton said .
GEOVIA , itself , has built a “ Sustainability solution referential ” for mining by analysing mining processes and aligning them with mining company key performance indicators ( KPIs ) and global standards such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals , the International Council on Mining and Metals Mining Principles and the EU Taxonomy .
This “ referential ” represents four themes associated with sustainable mining KPIs that , GEOVIA says , are measurable and generate value for the planet , industry and community . It is these four themes – Energy & Emissions , Water Stewardship , Social Value and Futureproofing – that GEOVIA is specifically focused on .
Within the wider Dassault Systèmes group ’ s Sustainability targets , epitomised by its Sustainability Compass , the company is focused on not only providing the tools , but also the inspiration for its customers to “ innovate sustainably ”. “ In addition to our Science-based and social targets , we have a company-wide portfolio target
The GEOVIA MineSched solution enables miners to optimise the short-term operations and analyse multiple scenarios involving waste in order to reduce the impact of material handling from energy usage , emissions and cost perspectives , according to Jeff Hamilton
to have two-thirds of new licences sold from our solutions / processes with ‘ positive sustainability impact ’ by 2025 ,” Hamilton said .
This ensures the group ’ s goals aligns with that of its clients , providing a two-pronged incentive to develop sustainable solutions the industry can adopt .
Over the next three to five years , Hamilton expects GEOVIA and Dassault Systèmes to enhance its existing solutions to ensure they are accretive to its customers ’ sustainability and ESG goals . This is on top of creating new tools with inherent sustainability value to “ enable our brand promise of Modelling the Sustainable Planet ”.
The group ’ s ultimate ambition is to develop a “ Virtual Twin Experience ” of the Sustainable Planet where all solutions will include data intelligence capabilities to monitor key indicators , a governance and collaboration solution to enable essential transparency across stakeholders , mineral processing optimisation and several solutions to manage the circularity of mining operations that actively create value .
“ And , when we talk about sustainability and ESG , we are also focused on Circular Economy – how do we get to zero waste , how do we generate solutions that help customers generate accretive value both to industry and the planet ,” Hamilton said . “ For example , with water use – mining uses a lot of water – we don ’ t want to waste water and , for the water that we do use , we want to ensure that after it ’ s been used , it ’ s of a better quality than before we used it and biologically accretive in the ecosystem .”
Many of the group ’ s current solutions are helping customers model , design , simulate , plan
International Mining | FEBRUARY 2022