Mining Magazine Autumn 2023

Caroline Tiddy, Superstar of STEM: BOOSTING MINERAL EXPLORATION

HOW AUTOMATION IS INFLUENCING ESG IN MINING

CHANGING THE MINDSET OF MENTAL HEALTH

The missing link in your B2B Marketing Strategy

While traditional trade publications have quality audiences and high levels of trust, they can lack the full range of services to guarantee a return on your investment. And while traditional marketing agencies offer the latest marketing techniques, they don’t have the audience or the industry understanding the B2B sector needs.

Monkey Media is the missing link that brings together a trusted brand and powerful audience, with a complete agency offering.

Managing

Assistant Editor

Contributing

Design Manager

Alejandro Molano

Senior Designer

Luke Martin

Designers

Danielle Harris Ozlem Munur

National Media and Events Executives

Rima Munafo

Brett Thompson

Marketing Manager

Radhika Sud

Digital Marketing Assistants

James Holgate

Jackson Barnes

Natalie Ta

Rhys Dawes

Isabella Predika

Publisher

Chris Bland

GM Growth and Strategy

Laura Harvey ISSN:

EDITOR’S WELCOME

Welcome to Mining’s second issue and the start of a new year. We're excited to bring you the latest news, insights and analysis from the world of mining in 2023.

Over the past few years, there has been a growing recognition of the need to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of employees in the mining industry. A lot of work is being done to help companies better tackle this challenge, including the release of independent reports, reviews and online resources. In this issue, we take an in-depth look at one of the research papers released – AREEA’s landmark mental health research report – and unpack the insights it provides into stress, anxiety, depression, alcohol use and sleep issues, and the advice provided for the development of focused interventions. We also look at Deloitte’s four key areas of safety that are needed to create a safe, sustainable, inclusive, resilient and successful organisation.

At Mining Magazine, we are dedicated to highlighting the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the STEM and mining industries. For this issue, we had the pleasure of speaking with Associate Professor Caroline Tiddy from the University of South Australia, who was named a 2023 Superstar of STEM for her work to develop new sensor and geochemical exploration technologies to find critical metals. She is among 60 diverse scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians recognised nationally by Science and Technology Australia to celebrate the country’s most inspiring women and non-binary people working in STEM, who are smashing stereotypes in the field. In our interview with her on page 14, we spoke

to her about her career in geosciences, geochemical targeting tools, and the global issue of decreasing metal inventory with increasing critical mineral demand, as well as using the Superstar of STEM platform to increase diversity in the field.

We’re also lucky to be partnering with a number of industry events for this issue, including Austmine and Locate23.

On a more personal note, I will be stepping away from the role of Mining Magazine Editor and handing the reins over to our current Assistant Editor Rebecca Todesco. Rebecca has produced a number of fantastic articles in this edition and has been immersing herself in the sector. She will be attending industry events over the coming year and is excited to meet all of you. I’m thrilled to see her step into her new role and continue to deliver exceptional content that makes Mining a key voice for Australia’s mining industry.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our readers for their support and I look forward to seeing the amazing ideas and direction Rebecca takes with Mining Please get in touch with her if you have a story idea or would just like to discuss any big industry issues. Her contact details are below.

Lauren Cella Editor

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

THE STEM SUPERSTAR KICKING STEREOTYPES, ONE CRITICAL MINERAL AT A TIME

SMART MINING

12

Associate Professor Caroline Tiddy is dedicated to developing more efficient and environmentally friendly ways to explore for essential metals, and was named a 2023 Superstar of STEM. We caught up with her to discuss her career in geosciences, geochemical targeting tools, and the global issue of decreasing metal inventory with increasing critical mineral demand.

22

By definition, open pit mines are often located in remote areas, and can be large or even gigantic (some mines are much larger than large cities).

DESIGNING BETTER LINERS WITH DEM SIMULATION TO REDUCE MINING EQUIPMENT WEAR

TURNING TRASH INTO TREASURE: GIVING A SECOND LIFE TO CORPORATE TEXTILE WASTE

THE ROADMAP TO COPPER MINE SUSTAINABILITY

Global emissions targets and pledges have spurred a flurry of activity in countries around the world, with a range of locations and companies looking to embrace innovations and technology that will advance them towards net zero emissions targets. A report by the International Copper Association Australia (ICAA) has explored what this changeover will look like for copper mining and strategies the industry can utilise to propel itself towards a more sustainable future.

SAFETY AND TRAINING

24

26

28

As a result of rapidly evolving dynamics in resources and broader markets, we are seeing a changing of the guard of investors in commodities and resource equities. New investor classes have emerged or re-emerged, while some traditional sources of finance have dried up or been redirected.

In mining and ore processing operations, slurry pumps provide a vital means of effectively transporting slurry over any distance. Their running costs also contribute a significant component of total operating costs, and any failure of this key piece of equipment can bring a mining project grinding to a halt. Therefore, improvements in the sustained efficiency and reliability of slurry pumps can result in substantial bottomline benefits to mining operators.

BHP AND RIO TINTO PARTNERSHIP TO BOOST TAILINGS TECHNOLOGY

In a bid to accelerate the development of technology that could significantly increase water recovery from mine tailings – in turn reducing potential safety risks and the environmental footprint associated with tailings storage facilities – BHP and Rio Tinto have formed a partnership agreement.

Both organisations will work in collaboration with leading technology and equipment providers, technical experts, research groups and the academic sector.

The first project will involve testing the application of an innovative large-volume filter unit at a BHP copper mine in Chile, which would remove up to 80 per cent of the water in the tailings stream before it is deposited in a storage facility.

Rio Tinto will bring its experience from implementing smallerscale tailings filters for bauxite residues at alumina refineries since 2005.

Manufacture of the filter unit is already underway, with the pilot construction due to begin in early 2023 and operations are scheduled to commence in early 2024. The pilot will test the potential of a large-scale tailings filter unit for scalability and cost-effectiveness across global mining operations.

Removing more water from tailings would reduce potential risks associated with moisture in storage facilities, reduce the footprint required by such facilities, and create opportunities to productively re-use tailings, for example, as raw material for glass, construction or agriculture industries.

The additional water recovered from tailings by filtration could be reused in processing facilities, reducing overall water consumption.

Tailings usually take the form of a liquid slurry made of fine metal or mineral particles and water – created when mined ore is crushed and finely ground in a milling process to enable the metals and minerals of interest to be extracted.

BHP Chief Technical Officer, Laura Tyler, said, “The world will need more critical minerals in the decades to come to support economic development and decarbonisation pathways.

“It is important that we keep working together across the global mining sector to raise standards and make sure our operations are as safe and sustainable as they can be.

“Responsible management of tailings and improved water use is a big part of that.”

Rio Tinto Chief Technical Officer, Mark Davies, said, “It is in everyone’s interest that we, as an industry, find safer and more sustainable ways to manage tailings.

“As two of the leading companies in the sector, we want to bring our combined knowledge and expertise to address this challenge.”

PROTOTYPE BATTERY SYSTEM

Fortescue has announced a prototype battery system –using the largest battery of its kind in Australia – is ready to be installed in a zero-emission battery electric mining haul truck the company is developing with Liebherr.

The battery system was completed and delivered by WAE Technologies (WAE).

The state-of-the-art 1.4MWh prototype power system sets the pace for groundbreaking innovation in heavy industry and is a bespoke design intended for integration into a 240-tonne mining haul truck.

The battery will be integral to Fortescue’s US$6.2 billion decarbonisation strategy to help eliminate fossil fuels from its terrestrial iron ore operations, which includes replacing its existing diesel-fuelled fleet with battery electric and green hydrogen-powered haul trucks.

A team of 50 engineers and technicians are responsible for developing the pioneering power system, which weighs 15 tonnes, measures 3.6m long, 1.6m wide

and 2.4m high, and is made up of eight sub-packs, each with 36 modules, all individually cooled and each with its own battery management system.

It is a massive achievement that has been completed in record time and marks several firsts for an electric mining haul truck battery, with energy storage of 1.4MWh, the ability to fast-charge in 30 minutes and capacity to regenerate power as it drives downhill.

Fortescue Future Industries CEO, Mark Hutchinson, said, “WAE and Fortescue are working together to seek to decarbonise faster and more effectively than any other major industrial company in the world.

“The battery system, designed for our zero-emission battery electric mining haul trucks is an important part of our strategy to reach real zero terrestrial emissions (Scope 1 and 2) across our iron operations by 2030.

“WAE’s battery expertise compliments FFI’s green hydrogen projects and cements Fortescue as a leader in the technologies needed for the green energy transition.”

The battery arrived at Fortescue’s workshop in Perth, Western Australia, in January 2023 and will be assembled and installed, before its transported to the Pilbara for world-leading testing on site in 2023.

WAE Technologies CEO, Craig Wilson, said the new power system has the highest energy storage of its kind and will be the first to offer 30 minute fast charging.

“This system is the first of many technologies that can help enable Fortescue to realise its industry leading 2030 net zero target. Powered solely by renewable energy, it will help prevent enormous amounts of fossil fuel from being used in the mining industry, with the goal to not compromise the vehicle’s load capacity.

“This is an inspiring example of what can be achieved combining Fortescue’s pioneering green energy vision for its global vehicles and WAE’s extensive expertise in advanced batteries,” Mr Wilson said.

AUSTRALIA’S FIRST

FOR ZERO - EMISSION ELECTRIC MINING HAUL TRUCKS REVEALED

To support the sustainable energy transition, International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) has completed a study into a new technique to turn decommissioned mines into long-term underground gravity energy storage solutions.

In the new IIASA-led study, a team of researchers developed a new way to store energy by transporting sand into abandoned underground mines. The new technique called Underground Gravity Energy Storage (UGES) proposes an effective long-term energy storage solution while also making use of nowdefunct mining sites, which likely number in the millions globally.

Renewable energy sources are central to the energy transition toward a more sustainable future. However, as sources like sunshine and wind are inherently variable and inconsistent, finding ways to store energy in an accessible and efficient way is crucial. While there

RESEARCH FINDS NEW WAY TO REUSE ABANDONED MINES FOR ENERGY STORAGE

are many effective solutions for daily energy storage, the most common being batteries, a cost-effective long-term solution is still lacking.

UGES generates electricity when the price is high by lowering sand into an underground mine and converting the potential energy of the sand into electricity via regenerative braking and then lifting the sand from the mine to an upper reservoir using electric motors to store energy when electricity is cheap.

The main components of UGES are the shaft, motor/generator, upper and lower storage sites, and mining equipment. The deeper and broader the mineshaft, the more power can be extracted from the plant, and the larger the mine, the higher the plant’s energy storage capacity.

Researcher in the IIASA Energy, Climate, and Environment Program and the lead author of the study, Julian Hunt, said, “When a mine closes, it lays off thousands of workers. This devastates communities that rely only on the mine for their economic output. UGES would create a few vacancies as the mine would provide energy storage services after it stops operations.

“Mines already have the basic infrastructure and are connected to the power grid, which significantly reduces the cost and facilitates the implementation of UGES plants.”

Other energy storage methods, like batteries, lose energy via self-discharge over long periods. The energy storage medium of UGES is sand, meaning that there is no energy lost to self-discharge, enabling ultra-long time energy storage ranging from weeks to several years.

The investment costs of UGES are about one to ten USD/kWh and power capacity costs of 2.000 USD/kW. The technology is estimated to have a global potential of seven to 70TWh, with most of this potential concentrated in China, India, Russia, and the USA.

Study coauthor and a researcher in the IIASA Energy, Climate, and Environment Program, Behnam Zakeri, said, “To decarbonise the economy, we need to rethink the energy system based on innovative solutions using existing resources. Turning abandoned mines into energy storage is one example of many solutions that exist around us, and we only need to change the way we deploy them.”

We know the importance of choosing the right equipment. With our extensive range of pumps, first class customer service and ongoing comprehensive support, Kelair Pumps Australia are second to none when it comes to your pumping requirements.

GEOSCIENCE GRADUATE NUMBERS PLUMMET

The Australian Geoscience Council has released a new report revealing a 40 per cent decline in students completing geoscience degrees over the past eight years, raising concerns over Australia’s ability to find, define and mine key minerals.

The peak body representing major geoscience organisations has called for urgent action to promote the discipline to potential students.

The Australian Tertiary Geoscience Education Profile report tracks changes in key metrics including enrolments and academic staffing levels since 2003.

Report author and President of the UNSW Academic Board, Professor David Cohen, said universities, government geological surveys and the resources industry were concerned with the low number of students entering geoscience programs in Australia.

The dearth of geoscientists, which is replicated globally, could impact Australia’s ability to find, define and mine key minerals needed in a decarbonised future.

The report said the lack of exposure and awareness of geoscience in Australian secondary schools remained an issue.

The report said the issue was linked to the lack of earth science teachers and other problems in the STEM disciplines.

“A lack of scientific literacy in the general population does not serve the development of science policy or assist the sector in encouraging support for higher education and research in geoscience,” the report said.

On staffing, it said some Australian university departments made significant cuts to earth science academic support

staff in response to actual or perceived reductions in university budgets due to COVID-19.

Professor Cohen said, “While universities have endeavoured to maintain geoscience programs, financial pressures have resulted in the loss of geoscience programs at two institutions in the last three years.

“Australian universities and research organisations have a long and distinguished track record in both pure and applied geoscience research, including areas ranging from resource discovery to environmental management,” Professor Fitzsimons said.

Chair of the Australian Geoscience Council, Dr Kevin Cassidy, said the Australian economy was highly dependent on the discovery of new mineral resources, including critical minerals.

“This includes materials desperately needed to help us transition to a low-carbon economy,” Dr Cassidy said.

“Australia is blessed with amazing geology – from some of the oldest rocks and earliest indicators of life on Earth to spectacular mineral deposits that formed as our continent evolved.

“A better understanding of Australia’s geological endowment and the processes that have led to the creation of our continent need to be embedded in the school science syllabus.

“We must increase the general awareness of the geosciences in the community and highlight the range of career opportunities for geoscience graduates amongst school students and their influencers.”

Chair of the Heads of Geoscience Schools Forum, Curtin University Professor Ian Fitzsimons, said it was vital to increase the number of students entering geoscience programs to maintain the strength of geoscience in Australia.

“The resources industry, including minerals, energy and water, is very concerned that Australia and other countries are producing insufficient geoscience graduates to meet demand in the short to medium term.”

Chair of the Australian Academy of Sciences National Committee of the Earth Sciences, Professor Ian Jackson, said publication of the report provided a timely warning concerning geoscience training in Australia.

“The decline in graduates is partly attributable to the boom-bust cycle of the mineral exploration industry and continues to threaten the viability of university geoscience departments,” Professor Jackson said.

“The enrolment trends suggest that governments and the broader public are insufficiently aware of the vital role of geoscience in understanding the broad interface between humans and our planet, including pressing concerns about changing climate, scarce sub-surface water resources, and the emerging need for critical metals for our decarbonised future.”

QUEENSLAND’S DEPARTMENT OF RESOURCES APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR - GENERAL

Queensland’s Department of Resources appointed a new Director-General in October 2022, who was recommended by an independent recruitment panel.

Queensland’s Resources Minister, Scott Stewart, announced the appointment of senior public executive, Mark Cridland, to the role at a critical time in the Department’s tackling of land, mineral and energy resources.

“Mr Cridland has more than 30 years’ senior experience in the public and private sector and brings strong leadership credentials to the role,” Mr Stewart said.

“He understands our stakeholders and our business, having been the Acting Director-General of the Department of Resources since May.

“I am excited to be able to continue working with him to deliver what is needed to support the best use of Queensland’s renewable and non-renewable land, mineral and energy resources.”

Mr Cridland was a director in KPMG’s Transport and Infrastructure Sector for five years.

He has a Bachelor of Commerce (Legal Studies) from the University of Wollongong and has completed executive education at Harvard University.

Mr Cridland is also a board member of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and a former board member of the Queensland Investment Panel, Australia New Zealand Counter Terrorism Committee, and the Economic Development Queensland Board.

RIO TINTO, BHP AND FORTESCUE

PILOT PROGRAM TACKLING DISRESPECTFUL BEHAVIOUR

Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue are launching a pilot program aiming to eliminate disrespectful behaviour, like sexual harassment, bullying and racism, in the resources industry following reports of unacceptable sexual harassment in the mining industry.

The launch is the most recent step in the three companies’ combined response to combat sexual harassment since forming a partnership in October 2021.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive, Simon Trott, said the pilot launch is a key milestone in the company’s broader commitment to create a workplace culture that is safe, respectful and inclusive.

“Building awareness through education on how we can create safer work environments through the prevention and elimination of sexual harassment, bullying and racism is vital to ensuring those joining our industry feel safe.

“We’re proud to be collaborating with experts in this field, in partnership with industry leaders, and we look forward to the findings from the pilot and the opportunity to share with broader industry for the benefit of all Australians.”

The three companies have collaborated with leading experts to design and develop the industry-first program

which aims to educate new entrants to the sector about the impact of sexual harassment, bullying and racism, including how to recognise and report these behaviours.

The Building Safe and Respectful Workplaces pilot program will be completed by 30 volunteers who are currently undertaking apprenticeships or traineeships with the three companies.

The pilot program, managed by the Australian Minerals and Energy Skills Alliance (AUSMESA), was delivered on 15 and 16 November 2022 by experienced facilitators from Griffith University, with the results to be fully evaluated and feedback from the participants utilised to finalise the learning program.

BHP Western Australia Iron Ore Asset President, Brandon Craig, said programs like the pilot help to educate the next generation of workers, ensuring workplaces are safe, respectful and inclusive.

“While we know there is more to do, this pilot is part of our redoubled efforts to eliminate sexual harassment, and is in addition to a range of other measures including improved security at accommodation villages, additional public disclosures, specialised resources and company-wide training.

“We’re proud to be working with leading industry partners to deliver this

important program as we work together to eliminate disrespectful behaviours from our industry.”

It is intended the program will be delivered from early 2023 with a particular focus on new entrants to the mining industry.

As part of an ongoing commitment to educate about respectful behaviour, the companies will engage across industry and education providers on how to broaden the reach of the program and it is anticipated the training course will be made available to other industries in the future through a range of education pathways.

Fortescue Chief Operating Officer Iron Ore, Dino Otranto, said safety is the company’s first priority, with a zero tolerance attitude to inappropriate behaviour.

“We remain firmly committed to ensuring that Fortescue has safe and inclusive workplaces, and that the mining industry as a whole is a safe and welcoming place for everyone who works within it.

“We’re pleased to be working with our industry peers towards the common goal of ensuring that sexual harassment, bullying and other inappropriate behaviours do not occur in the mining industry.”

SKILLS PRIORITY LIST HIGHLIGHTS AUSTRALIA’S CRIPPLING SKILLS CRISIS

The National Skills Commission’s 2022 Skills Priority List revealed that occupations critical to both current resources and energy operations in every state and territory are facing serious supply shortages.

These persistent shortages across the resources sector and other key industries include core production roles in mining and petroleum engineers, plant engineers, geologists, drillers, earthmover operators and trades workers.

Additionally, occupations that are fundamental to maintaining remote site work villages – such as chefs and cooks –are also facing nationwide shortages.

The newly released data indicates that collaborative efforts to ease Australia’s crippling skills crisis require urgent ramping up.

The Skills Priority List is developed using extensive statistical analysis of the labour market, employer surveys, and extensive stakeholder engagement.

Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association (AREEA) Director of Operations, Tara Diamond, said Australia’s resources and energy sector, along with many other industries, is operating through a once-in-a-generation skills crisis.

“[The] NSC data reaffirms what employers have been experiencing on the ground for the better part of two years.

“It also confirms such labour supply and skills challenges will persist well into 2023 and possibly beyond that.

“Crippling skills shortages threaten the continuity of existing operations as well as create headaches for new project development, potentially impacting both the future growth of the industry as well as Australia’s reputation as a reliable country to invest in.

“These issues demand strong industry and government collaboration. There is no silver bullet, but momentum on practical medium and long-term solutions must be escalated and maintained.”

Ms Diamond said that AREEA is working with all levels of government and advocating for solutions to wellknown problems across VET and other training outcomes, labour mobility and skilled migration.

“Unless industry and government can find some creative solutions, the skills crisis facing not only the resources and energy industry but all sectors of the Australian economy, will persist for years to come,” Ms Diamond said.

“AREEA is also working hard with members on initiatives to promote the industry as a desirable, future-focused industry where new generations of skilled people can enjoy long, well-paid careers and be part of innovation and new energy technologies.”

The Skills Priority List reflects and reinforces key trends established in AREEA’s Resources and Energy Workforce Forecast: 2022–2027, which shows Australia’s resources and energy industry will conservatively require an additional 24,000 workers by 2027.

NEW COO FO � PILBARA MINERALS

Pilbara Minerals has appointed an experienced mining and resources leader to the role of Chief Operating Officer.

The appointment of Vince De Carolis, which forms part of the planned expansion of the Company’s Executive Leadership team, follows an extensive search which attracted an impressive field of candidates.

With an extensive career in the resources industry, Mr De Carolis has held senior operational leadership positions with BHP, South32 and, most recently, Newmont, where he oversaw its Tanami operation in the Northern Territory.

His depth of experience working in nickel and gold operations will be extremely valuable to Pilbara Minerals as it continues to drive strong operational performance at the Pilgangoora Project while executing its accelerated expansion pathway towards 1Mtpa.

Pilbara Minerals’ Managing Director and CEO, Dale Henderson, said he was delighted to have secured such a high-calibre individual to join the Pilbara Minerals team at a pivotal time in its history as it moves to the next level as a global lithium producer.

“I was very impressed by the calibre of candidates that participated in the selection process, however Vince’s track record of driving operational performance and his ability to cultivate high-performing teams was what set him apart,” Mr Henderson said.

“Vince brings an impressive track record of delivering exceptional outcomes at complex mining and processing operations. At the same time, he has an inclusive and personable leadership style which will complement the great culture we have developed at Pilbara Minerals.

“This unique combination of attributes helped distinguish Vince amongst an impressive group of candidates.

“Vince joins our business at an incredibly exciting time as we embark on a major scaling up of our operation to capitalise on the growing demand for lithium products.

“His appointment forms part of a planned expansion of the Executive Leadership team as we embark on a transformational period in the market and for our business.

“I look forward to welcoming Vince to the team and working closely with him to continue to deliver on our core objectives as the leading ASX-listed lithium company.”

QLD TO CONNECT NET ZERO HUB TO RESOURCE - RICH WEST

Queensland’s resource-rich North West Minerals Province will be connected to the state’s electricity ‘Super Grid’ in a new commitment from the State Government.

Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said building transmission infrastructure from Townsville to Hughenden and eventually Mount Isa would unlock hundreds of billions of dollars and thousands of jobs.

“The new transmission link has the potential to plug into the proposed $1.7 billion Copperstring 2.0 network,” Ms Palaszcuck said.

“Our plan for a clean energy economy means lower electricity costs for Queensland’s remote mining and industrial operations.

“This will spur new investment in rare earth minerals mining such as the copper, zinc, vanadium and cobalt that are so important for renewable energy generation and battery storage systems.

“And that will drive even more good, secure jobs in new industries.

“Right now, mining is the most energy-intensive industry in Queensland.

“But it’s also one of our most important, employing 77,000 Queenslanders and contributing greatly to our economy.

“Our plan provides miners with access to more affordable, more reliable electricity, while allowing them to decarbonise their operations.”

State Energy Minister, Mick de Brenni, said the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan will also be the catalyst for more largescale renewable energy projects throughout the state’s north and north-west.

“Independent analysis shows Queensland will need an additional 22GW of large-scale wind and solar capacity by 2035 to achieve our decarbonisation ambitions,” he said.

“The State Government will link renewable energy generators in North West Queensland to the national electricity market.

“We will provide certainty that large-scale wind and solar farms already planned for the Northern Queensland Renewable Energy Zone will be able to feed their clean electricity into the national grid.

“This new link will spark significant investment in new clean energy projects along the transmission corridor, like the $2.6 billion Mount James Wind Farm already proposed for Hughenden. This means thousands of jobs for Queensland.”

The Copperstring project is currently subject to regulatory and commercial processes.

“We’ll continue to work with the Copperstring 2.0 proponents on a delivery model to ensure Queenslanders benefit from clean energy opportunities for generations to come,” Mr de Brenni said.

Queensland’s Minister for Resources, Scott Stewart, said mining activity currently consumes around 20 per cent of the state’s electricity, yet most mines operate off the electricity grid through gas and diesel generation.

“Access to the national electricity market will mean lower energy costs for large mining and industrial operations which typically pay higher electricity prices than their grid-connected competitors,” Mr Stewart said.

“The mining sector also has a very high exposure to energy price shocks, such as those we’ve witnessed through global instability this year.”

CONTRACT AWARDED FOR PILBARA P680 EXPANSION PROJECT

Pilbara Minerals has awarded the contract for the P680 Expansion Project construction works at its Pilgangoora Project in Western Australia.

Primero Group Limited (Primero), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NRW Holdings, has been awarded the contract.

The contract, which has an estimated value of approximately $62 million, is for works pertaining to the construction of the Primary Rejection Facility and preliminary works for the new Crushing and Ore Sorting Facility.

Under the contract, Primero will be responsible for detailed earth and concrete works associated with both the Primary Rejection and Crushing and Ore Sorting Facilities, and the structural, mechanical, piping, electrical and instrumentation installation (SMPE&I) associated with the Primary Rejection Facility.

Primero will also assist with providing commissioning, integration and shutdown

support to tie the Primary Rejection Facility into the existing Pilgan Plant.

Construction works in respect of SMPE&I for the Crushing and Ore Sorting Facilities are yet to be awarded and are scheduled for award later in 2023.

Pilbara Minerals’ Managing Director and CEO, Dale Henderson, said, “We are pleased to welcome the Primero team back to Pilgangoora for this important construction package for the P680 Expansion Project.

“Primero is a long-standing partner of Pilbara Minerals from an early stage having undertaken packages of work for Pilbara Minerals from the commencement of the project in 2017, as well playing an integral role in the successful commissioning, ramp-up and optimisation of the Pilgan Plant in 2019.

“The Primero team has an established track record in the safe and successful delivery of projects of this nature and has had exposure across many of the recent projects within the lithium sector.

“We look forward to working closely with Primero for the safe and successful delivery of this package, which will step-up our production run-rate to the next level with a total of ~680ktpa of spodumene concentrate across the combined Pilgangoora operation.

“The successful completion of this project will further cement Pilbara Minerals’ position as an emerging leader in the provision of sustainable battery materials products.”

NEW REPORT ON FATIGUE MANAGEMENT IN QLD MINES

The University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI) has released a new report looking at fatigue management in Queensland’s mining industry.

The report outlines how fatigue has improved in recent years but more needs to be done to understand the relationship between fatigue and mental health.

Produced by researchers from SMI’s Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre (MISHC) and published by the Queensland Commissioner for Resources Safety and Health, Fatigue Management in the Queensland Mining Industry and its relationship with Mental Health uses notifiable incident data as well as industry, regulatory and academic sources to examine fatigue management as well as the relationships between fatigue, safety, and mental health.

MISHC lead author, Professor Tim Horberry, said while the report shows good progress has been made on fatigue and fatigue management in Queensland mining, there is still room for improvement.

“The effort put into improving fatigue management at mine sites is very welcome – all the companies we

reviewed had fatigue management systems in place that largely followed the QGN16 guideline,” Mr Horberry said.

“Additionally, only around 2.5 per cent of reported notifiable incidents in Queensland’s mining industry had fatigue as a factor – that’s far below the range typically recorded for road transport incidents.

“However, our comparison of data from Queensland with data from New South Wales and Western Australia provides more context, with fatigue incidents in Queensland slightly higher than in New South Wales and Western Australia.

“So there is room for improvement in Queensland, including to the relevant guideline – QGN16 – which may benefit from some updating.

“Areas that need more attention are often intangible and include better consideration of the long-term health effects of fatigue, investigating mental health outcomes, more use of technologies, and stronger corporate emphasis on fatigue management.”

Commissioner for Resources Safety and Health, Kate du Preez, said understanding the state of fatigue management in Queensland’s mining industry is the first step to improving fatigue management.

“Specifically, the report examined the process organisations employed to identify and implement procedural – soft – and practical – hard – controls to manage the risk of fatigue,” Ms du Preez said.

“Analysis of current industry practice and regulatory frameworks showed that a greater use of fatigue detection technologies, addressing the legislative challenges sometimes faced when Queensland workplaces wish to implement fatigue management controls, and stronger emphasis on the importance of fatigue management could be implemented to improve safety and health outcomes.

“Now that we have a baseline, we know where the gaps are in the research, reporting, and practices related to fatigue and, as an industry, steps that can be taken to address them.”

Access the report: https://smi.uq.edu. au/article/2023/01/fatigue-managementqueensland-mines-focus-new-mishcreport

SUSTAINABLE CRITICAL MINERALS ALLIANCE ANNOUNCED AT COP15

Critical minerals are crucial for helping countries meet climate goals and transition to a prosperous net zero economy, but the current geopolitical dynamics have contributed to stresses within critical minerals value chains.

To deal with these challenges, Australia has joined a number of countries to launch the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance.

Due to these stresses, many countries are looking to find secure, reliable supplies of these resources and the clean technologies they enable.

As countries around the world work to secure access to these resources, it is equally important that the path to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero is built with a human rights-based approach, a commitment to sustainability and the highest environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.

Australia has abundant reserves of critical minerals, including rare earths, which are essential inputs to clean technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicle batteries.

Federal Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Madeleine King, said mining and processing of critical minerals are crucial to help the world lower emissions, and it was important those minerals are developed to high ESG standards.

“Australia is strongly committed to sustainability and the highest environmental and social governance standards, and we believe the development of new low-emissions technologies provides a great opportunity to promote those ESG standards across the world.”

Australia announced at the COP15 that it, alongside other countries including Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US, are launching the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance to drive the global uptake of environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive and responsible mining, processing and recycling practices, and responsible critical minerals supply chains.

The Alliance aligns with the G7 2030 Nature Compact commitment to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 through a globally wide system change to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) with a focus on sustainable and inclusive development.

Through the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance, members will voluntarily work toward developing sustainable and inclusive mining practices and sourcing critical minerals that:

♦ Employ a nature-positive approach by encouraging industry practices or collaborating with industry on practices that prevent biodiversity loss, protect species at risk, support nature protection and minimise pollution, including driving toward net positive benefits to the natural environment

♦ Support local and Indigenous communities by respecting the respective rights and interests of local and Indigenous communities through engagement; promoting safe working conditions and responsible labour standards, diverse and inclusive workforces, supporting safe living conditions; and including members of Indigenous and local communities in economic benefits from mining that affects their well-being

♦ Help fight climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and working toward achieving net zero emissions by no later than 2050, and promoting mining, processing and recycling processes that advance sustainability through ESG standards

♦ Restore ecosystems by adopting requirements for reclamation and remediation to close and return mine sites to their natural state where feasible and holding responsible parties accountable for environmental harm

♦ Build a circular economy by promoting material stewardship, including byproducts and recovery from waste, keeping products in use longer as well as accelerating the reuse and recycling of critical minerals, which may reduce the number of new mines required to supply the minerals needed

♦ Foster ethical corporate practices through sustainability reporting to investors and the public and by implementing due diligence in mineral supply chains as laid down in relevant internationally accepted guidelines

Members of the Alliance welcome and encourage collaboration with Indigenous communities, non-governmental organisations, industry and other non-state actors, as well as actions taken domestically and globally to advance the objectives of the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance and call on others to join.

The International Mines Ministers Summit — which took place in Toronto on 6 March 2023 at the margins of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s Annual Convention — provided an opportunity to dialogue on the commitment and continue further collaboration on sustainable critical minerals.

“Australia congratulates Canada for taking the initiative, and we are proud to become a foundation member of the Sustainable Critical Minerals Coalition,” Ms King said

MINING OPERATIONS JUST GOT EASIER WITH VOICE - POWERED AUTOMATION

The Global Mining Automation Market Report forecasts a significant growth in automation from US$3.1 billion in 2022 to US$4.2 billion by 2027. Over the next five years, voice, IoT and AI technologies are leading the way according to a new global analysis.

Much of this growth is attributed to a global move towards ‘connected’ mine sites that integrate with wireless communication systems.

Creating a connected mine site

A combination of Intelligent Automation (IA), IoT and AI technology, Ask Harry provides mine sites and workforces of any size with access to real-time information.

Matt Denton, Chief Product Officer at Contact Harald, said, "By providing site managers, supervisors, safety officers and teams on the ground with quick and easy access to information, Ask Harry is creating more connected, safer and efficient operations.”

Using voice as the primary input, Ask Harry is accessible via phone or the twoway radio and can be applied in almost every site communication scenario.

Answering worker questions, giving directions and providing safety updates are all possible without ever touching a keyboard, logging on or dealing with technology.

Workers can also Ask Harry to create, upload and check in on reports while onsite, making it fast and easy to keep track of progress and identify potential hazards.

With Ask Harry, issues are escalated quickly, messages get to the right people at the right time, and workers have an intelligent tool that helps them stay safe and productive, without the pain of forms or technology. And, since Harry has multilingual capabilities, users can connect with the system in up to 38 languages.

Contact Harald and its Australian engineering and design teams take products from inception to integrated hardware, voice, and AI solution delivery in 19 countries. This integrated design approach tightly couples the entire experience, delivering better, more human technology solutions.

For the past decade, our products have concentrated on emerging IoT and tracking technologies and, more recently, voice-based and AI technologies. Today our humancentred design combines voice, AI, and IoT systems to improve your teams’ experiences while delivering more profound, meaningful insights.

To learn more about Ask Harry, visit www.askharry.it

“Connected mining refers to the application of technology to achieve better productivity and safety as well as reduce operational costs for a mine site… integrated operations technology makes the process of mine surveying, planning, exploration, extraction and analysis faster, and easier with software providing real-time information, thereby providing a realistic image of the mine environment and the availability of resources.”

Mining Automation Market Forecast to 2027

THE STEM SUPERST R KICKING STEREOTYPES,

ONE C � ITICAL MINE � AL AT A TIME

Associate Professor Caroline Tiddy is dedicated to developing more efficient and environmentally friendly ways to explore for essential metals, and was named a 2023 Superstar of STEM. We caught up with her to discuss her career in geosciences, geochemical targeting tools, and the global issue of decreasing metal inventory with increasing critical mineral demand.

How did you first get into your chosen field of study? Was it something you were always interested in?

I’ve always wanted to be a scientist, although through my school years I didn’t know what type of scientist I wanted to be – I just wanted to do science! Doing a science program with Museums Victoria in year ten in high school fuelled my scientific desire, and a geology course the same year perked my geoscience interest. I then went to university wanting to be an Industrial Chemist and took Earth Science in my first year to fill a spare slot. I soon realised geoscience was a career where I could be outside on adventures, surrounded by like-minded people and do science. Field trips were the clincher!

After ten years of study, from a Bachelors to a PhD, I spent two years working for a state geological survey.

Deep down though I always knew I wanted to be in universities and academia, so when presented with the opportunity to take on a Postdoctoral Researcher position, I jumped at it.

Amusingly, I always said I would not be involved in economic geology because it was ‘bad for the planet’. However, after some reflection I realised that focusing on economic geology, and particularly exploration geochemistry, was an opportunity to be part of the solution towards global issues, such as climate change. Furthermore, I started to realise that I could do applied research that has relevance to everyone, not just myself.

The recent years of your career have seen you publish a number of academic papers and received grant funding. Can you tell us about some of your career highlights?

Without a doubt, my career highlights revolve around being involved in two Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) that both aim to develop technologies that will see a paradigm shift in the way we undertake mineral exploration.

The Deep Exploration Technologies CRC (DET CRC – 2010 to mid-2018) culminated in building a world-first prototype

coiled tubing (CT) drill rig for hard rock mineral exploration. The compact, 15t rig has capability to drill a vertical hole to 500m depth and drill ~15m/hour in terrane that a traditional diamond rig drilled at ~3m/hour.

A research project I was involved in demonstrated the highdepth fidelity of the drilling, with a one metre zone of low-grade copper mineralisation at 400m depth being resolved through geochemical analysis of material returned from the drilling.

I also led the Education & Training (E&T) program of DET CRC. E&T Programs are a major legacy of a CRC and an integral part of their research program and culture.

The $4.5 million DET CRC E&T Program was viewed as being overly ambitious; however, we achieved our goals of seeing 40 students graduate from postgraduate research studies, and influencing training of 400-plus Vocational Education and Training (VET) students just five days out from the formal end of the eight-year CRC.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv1vXoGRv4g.

The world-first prototype coiled tubing (CT) drill rig for hard rock mineral exploration built by DET CRC. Credit: DET CRC.

The collective efforts of the DET CRC team are highlighted in this video:

Following the DET CRC, I was involved in writing the successful bid for the Mineral Exploration CRC (MinEx CRC – mid-2018 to 2028).

MinEx CRC is an AU$218 million, ten-year CRC that is the world’s largest collaborative research effort into mineral exploration and involves industry, government and academia within Australia and internationally.

We are expanding upon the capabilities of the DET CRC CT rig, developing sensors and software that will allow for real-time collection and interpretation of geological data within a drill hole or the drilling workflow, and testing the technologies through our National Drilling Initiative (NDI) program.

A highlight of my involvement in MinEx CRC is leading an even more ambitious AU$3.75 million E&T program where we aim to graduate 50 higher degree research students and develop platforms that will influence VET students in driller training and serve as an ongoing legacy of the CRC.

Throughout this journey, I have had the pleasure of supervising several postgraduate research students. Highlights of this experience include supervising seven PhD students through to completion, and following them as they went on and built diverse careers for themselves including as academics,

geologists with state government organisations and as policy advisors for the Australian Federal Government.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve encountered during your career?

That’s a tough question because there are so many challenges to a career!

I think the biggest challenge has been work-life balance, which has become a real struggle since becoming a mum to my two gorgeous kids.

The guilt of working and being away from my family versus the guilt of not working results in a mental battle where I’m being pulled in opposite directions by forces unknown to physics.

Add imposter syndrome on top of that and the niggling uncertainty about whether one belongs where they are, and it is a recipe for disaster. Managing self (i.e. self-care) has had to become a priority so that I can be both physically and mentally present when I am with my family and can give my best self to my research and my team.

I’ve not got it right and it can go so quickly wrong; however, I think awareness of the need to manage self is the first step to addressing the ongoing challenge of work-life balance.

Associate Professor Caroline Tiddy holding a 3D printout of the MinEx CRC RoXplorer CT drill rig, November 2022.

A great deal of your recent work involves the decreasing metal inventory coupled with increasing critical mineral demand. Why is it important to address these global issues?

The decreasing global inventories of metals such as copper and gold are primarily being driven by mineral exploration being forced to move into deeper search spaces where older rocks that host undiscovered mineral deposits are buried by young, barren ‘cover’ sediments.

The increasing demand for these metals is primarily due to their requirement in building new technologies including renewable energy systems such as solar heating, wind energy and photovoltaics. Given these renewable technologies are designed to address the global issue of anthropogenic climate change, it is critical that the metals required to build them are in adequate supply.

Can you outline some of your current projects?

The research activities I undertake can be described in two categories: mineral exploration and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

The mineral exploration research centres around developing technologies that will decrease exploration risk for critical metals such as copper, thereby increasing mineral deposit discovery success rates and ensuring sustained global supply of critical metals. Working with teams of researchers and postgraduate students within MinEx CRC, we are developing cutting-edge sensor technologies that will deliver rapid geochemical assay within the challenging environment of a drill hole.

The impact of this research will be in enabling rapid data interpretation and real-time decision-making to assist in planning for ongoing drilling campaigns, therefore increasing the chances of a drill hole successfully intersecting a mineralised system.

The other part of this research involves development of geochemical targeting tools that will use data such as that generated by the sensor technologies. The aim of these tools is to increase knowledge of mineral deposit fertility and prospectivity in underexplored regions of Australia.

My EDI-related research is about investigating the barriers and enablers of women to reach leadership levels within the geosciences in academia, government and industry.

This project is a multidisciplinary effort including colleagues in the University of South Australia with expertise in gender diversity and entrepreneurship. We aim to use our research to highlight gender inequality within geosciences and provide organisational and workplace strategies to remedy this imbalance and enable minority groups to have a voice.

How will developing new geochemical tools and drilling technologies for mineral exploration affect the future of the industry?

The challenge of subsurface mineral exploration is successful exploration targeting. The only way to get a rock sample from which exploration data critical to developing targets can be collected is to drill.

Consider that the highest-quality rock sample is returned from diamond drilling that can cost up to $400/m. Diamond

With respect to diversity, I have particular interest in appeasing the frustrations of gender equality that I regularly hear. I want to challenge public and media perceptions of geoscience being a place for ‘white, bearded men’ and inspire young people that anyone can do science using the learnings from my gender equality in geosciences research.

Associate Professor Caroline Tiddy

drill holes are regularly 1-2km depth, meaning the cost of a drill hole can be in the order of $0.4-0.8 million.

To add to the challenge, a diamond drill hole will produce a cylinder of rock that is commonly only around 6cm in diameter. Due to the cost, the number of diamond drill holes that produce this small amount of sample can be highly limited. For instance, less than 20 drill holes over a 300km2 exploration tenement is not uncommon. And to further add to the challenge, the ore deposits we seek are tiny compared to the search space.

The ability to drill at faster and cheaper rates and rapidly collect and interpret the vital geological data required to make informed drilling and exploration and targeting decisions will be a paradigm shift in mineral exploration. Every good explorer knows there is no ‘silver bullet’ in finding an ore deposit. Rather, you need to build up your inventory and criteria in knowing where to search for a deposit.

The geochemical exploration tools we are developing will add to that inventory and the drilling technologies will allow the tools to be applied early in the drilling campaign workflow. The combination of technologies and tools may therefore be used to identify and verify potential exploration targets during a drilling campaign.

The capability for decision-making whilst drilling will subsequently impact execution of drilling itself and whether to persist with or discard planned holes. Therefore, by using these technologies and tools, an exploration company that has allocated $5 million to their drilling campaign in any given financial year will be drilling holes with increased confidence, thereby increasing the chances of turning that $5 million of drilling expenditure into a mineral deposit discovery valued at much greater than $5 million!

What is targeting and what is the significance of trying to reduce it?

Exploration targeting is an estimate of a defined geological area to potentially host a mineral deposit of a commodity of interest.

The target may be defined using multiple data sources, such as terrane to local-scale geological knowledge, geophysics, surface and drill hole geochemistry and historical drilling and data.

Exploration targets will hold a level of uncertainty from high (e.g. target developed based on no previous drilling and limited geological knowledge) through to low (e.g. target based on known mineralisation in the area, data from multiple historical drill holes and high-resolution geophysics).

Decreasing the uncertainty and size of an exploration target through employment of multiple exploration criteria and building knowledge will (hopefully!) increase the chance of turning the target into a successful discovery.

You were recently named as a Superstar of STEM. How will you use this new platform to spread the message about critical mineral technologies and increasing diversity in the field?

The Superstars of STEM program aims to create a cohort of women and non-binary people working within STEM fields who are expert communicators in all forms of media within Australia, and who will be highly visible role models and inspire young people to study and stay in STEM.

I would like to use the Superstars of STEM platform to build public trust in the geosciences.

The general mistrust of geosciences is strongly fuelled by negative media portrayals of the minerals industry. I do not disagree; the geoscience industry can and needs to improve, particularly considering the environmental and equality issues

that have been splashed all over the media in recent years. However, these stories do not match the majority of geosciences and the opportunities a geoscience career can bring.

I want to communicate the wonders of our planet that we learn from studying geoscience, challenge the perception of geoscientists being environmental vandals and to reconcile the public disconnect between mining and the supply of metals critical in building green technologies crucial for Earth’s longevity.

With respect to diversity, I have particular interest in appeasing the frustrations of gender equality that I regularly hear. I want to challenge public and media perceptions of geoscience being a place for ‘white, bearded men’ and inspire young people that anyone can do science using the learnings from my gender equality in geosciences research.

What advice would you give to someone who is looking to start their career in your field?

The advice I would give someone who is looking to start a career in geoscience is what I consider the best advice I have been given, and this is the concept of ‘above the line’ thinking.

Instead of casting blame, take responsibility; instead of only seeing problems, think of solutions; instead of making excuses, find results. Truly taking this concept on board and switching my thinking to a positive, explorer mindset has opened opportunities and given me freedom of choice where previously I would have seen nothing.

This concept is not new and is relevant to anyone no matter their career stage. I believe that if I had taken this advice on board earlier in my career, then my path may still have led to the happy place I am at now, but there would have been more enjoyment, satisfaction and sense of achievement along the way.

Did you have someone you looked up to when you were starting your career? Do you think you would have done anything differently if you had?

Unfortunately, my answer to this question is no. Reflecting on my journey through my early career, days as a university student and even my high school years, I think that if I had someone to look up to from an early stage then my path would have been significantly different.

The reason I believe that is that I have a role model now. My role model is not a single person, rather it is traits from several people combined into one person I would like to be, and with patience and hard work I can see how to get there. This role model gives me direction.

So yes, I think I would have approached not only my early career, but also my time at university differently had I had a role model from early on.

The other aspect of support that I consider lacking for geoscientists (or any early careerist) is mentoring. I have never had a formal mentor but have purposefully identified various people at different times throughout my career as mentors without ever telling them what I was doing.

I have found this highly beneficial in seeking guidance or solutions to specific problems over short or long timelines.

I also don’t think that anyone is ever too young to have a mentor. Life is full of challenges and there is always someone we might connect with who has more experience in addressing that challenge than we do, so why not seek them out.

Furthermore, now that I have mentor roles myself, I see the benefits of it and find that engaging in mentoring is a continual learning experience on the challenges being faced by others, their perspectives and how to improve in my own communication and leadership skills.

THE ELECTRIC AND HYD � OGEN RE V OLUTION:

DECARBONISING MINE HAUL TRUCKS

With the largest mine haul trucks weighing in at over several hundred tonnes and consuming over 300L of fuel per hour, these behemoths have a number of environmental, safety and health impacts. Over 28,000 off-road haul trucks are in operation globally emitting around 68 million tonnes of CO2 per year, according to the Rocky Mountains Institute, so displacing diesel is one of the critical challenges for mines in the journey to net zero emissions. Here, we explore how major mining companies are tackling this challenge head on, trialling hydrogen and electricity as alternative sources of fuel to power their fleets and improve sustainability.

Hazelmere hydrogen-powered haul truck.

Credit: Fortescue Metals Group Ltd.

The mining industry has relied on diesel for decades to power machinery, and through that time diesel haulers have offered a low-CapEX, flexible and well-understood solution, with a highly developed supply chain. However, despite offering these benefits, there are a number of risks and challenges.

Not only are they heavy CO2 emitters, they also produce a number of other pollutants. This necessitates extensive ventilation systems in underground mines due to the excess heat and exhaust fumes that heavy diesel engines produce. Noise and vibration protection is also required in order to maintain the structural integrity of tunnels and shafts, mechanical wear of parts and vehicles, and for the health and safety of workers.

They are also very energy intensive, making up 30 to 50 per cent of a mine’s total energy use. Furthermore, refuelling requirements for these machines limits a mine’s infrastructure and smooth operation, and is subject to diesel fuel price volatility, which is outside of the operator’s control but is tied to a mine’s return on investment.

Electric and hydrogen-powered fleets — including transportation vehicles, haulage trucks, and mining machinery and gear — can help resolve challenges of using heavy diesel engines in the mining industry. As electric and hydrogenpowered vehicles produce no exhaust fumes, much less excess heat, and much less vibration than diesel engines, they are more environmentally friendly, safer to work with underground, and reduce maintenance costs. Therefore, they can impact not only the amount of CO2 emissions produced by operations, but also a company’s long-term profitability.

One of the biggest hurdles to the uptake of electric or hydrogen-powered machinery in mining, is that there are currently no large-scale economic or technologically viable vehicles available for mine haulage operations. Another challenge for hydrogen in particular is the need to build the infrastructure to source and create the type of hydrogen fuel needed to support a fleet of haul trucks.

However, mining companies and researchers are tackling this problem head on, partnering with technology and engineering firms, to develop and trial new solutions designed to handle the requirements of the mining industry.

Fortescue prioritising decarbonisation initiatives

Fortescue Metals Group is one mining company working to transition diesel to alternate, more environmentally-friendly fuels like hydrogen.

In its Climate Change Report FY21, Fortescue reported that haul trucks at its mine sites consumed about 200 million litres of diesel and accounted for 26 per cent of its Scope 1 operational emissions or 537t of CO2-e. In the same time period, other heavy mining equipment, including drill rigs and excavators, accounted for around 36 per cent of its Scope 1 operational emissions or 746,000t of CO2-e.

With a target to be carbon neutral by 2030, Fortescue’s renewable green energy and industry company Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) is a key enabler of Fortescue’s carbon neutrality target, investing in technologies to power the green mining fleet of the future.

FFI has established its own research and testing facility in Perth, Western Australia, and this facility is the focal point of innovation and collaboration to accelerate the commercialisation of low emissions solutions. It is investigating the main alternatives to diesel, including battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell options, to ensure the opportunities offered by both technologies can be captured.

One of the projects underway is the design and construction of a demonstration green hydrogen powered haul truck, with testing in progress. It is understood to still be a fuel cell electric vehicle ie FCEV utilising both hydrogen fuel cells and batteries. Testing is also occurring for a green hydrogen powered drill rig, including the important element of ensuring refuelling can occur in the mine pit. It has also begun testing of a hydrogenpowered blasthole drill rig.

Another project that reached a milestone in January 2023 was the development of electric mine haul trucks. Fortescue announced a prototype battery system – using the largest battery of its kind in Australia – was ready to be installed in a zero-emission battery electric mining haul truck the company is developing with Liebherr.

The battery system was completed and delivered by WAE Technologies (WAE).

The state-of-the-art 1.4MWh prototype power system sets the pace for ground-breaking innovation in heavy industry and is a bespoke design intended for integration into a 240-tonne mining haul truck.

A team of 50 engineers and technicians are responsible for developing the pioneering power system, which weighs 15 tonnes, measures 3.6m long, 1.6m wide and 2.4m high, and is made up of eight sub-packs, each with 36 modules, all individually cooled and each with its own battery management system.

It is a massive achievement that has been completed in record time and marks several firsts for an electric mining haul truck battery, with energy storage of 1.4MWH – the highest energy storage of its kind – the ability to fast-charge in 30 minutes and capacity to regenerate power as it drives downhill.

Powered solely by renewable energy, it will help prevent enormous amounts of fossil fuel from being used in the mining industry, with the goal to not compromise the vehicle’s load capacity.

The battery arrived at Fortescue’s workshop in Perth, and was going to be assembled and installed, before being transported to the Pilbara for world-leading testing on site this year.

As part of the mine haul truck decarbonisation activities, Fortescue will purchase a fleet of 120 haul trucks from multinational equipment manufacturer Liebherr, with delivery aligned to its fleet replacement and sustaining capital expenditure forecast. The commitment represents approximately 45 per cent of the current haul truck fleet at Fortescue’s operations.

The phased supply of haul trucks is anticipated to commence following a two-year joint development period enabling the development and integration of Fortescue’s proprietary-owned power system into Liebherr’s proprietary-owned base truck. Liebherr will supply mining haul trucks to Fortescue in both battery electric truck and fuel cell electric truck configurations, in accordance with Fortescue’s requirements.

The first of the zero emission-haul units will be fully operational within Fortescue's mine sites by 2025, with the aim to decarbonise its truck-hauling operations by 2030, as well as to have the units available for commercial sale from that time.

Anglo American unveils world’s largest hydrogenpowered mine haul truck

Anglo American, in collaboration with several partners, is retrofitting a mining haul truck with hydrogen power technology as part of a plan to attempt to attain carbon neutrality by 2040.

In 2019, partner First Mode started designing a zero-emission solution to replace a mine haul truck’s diesel engine, and three years later the hydrogen-powered haul truck made its official debut at the Mogalakwena mine in South Africa owned by Anglo American.

It is the world’s largest mobile hydrogen power plant – a hybrid that integrates hydrogen fuel cells with battery power –with the power plant having to generate two megawatts of electricity each second in order to power the large vehicle.

To reach that output goal, multiple smaller fuel modules to create a hybrid power plant weighing 25 metric tons needed to be designed as the scale of fuel cells required doesn’t exist on the market. The power plant weighs as much as five elephants and is capable of carrying a 290-tonne payload.

The 2MW hydrogen-battery hybrid truck is part of Anglo American’s nuGen™ Zero Emission Haulage Solution (ZEHS). nuGen™ provides a fully integrated green hydrogen system, consisting of production, fuelling and haulage system, with green hydrogen to be produced at the mine site.

nuGen™ is part of FutureSmart Mining™, Anglo American’s innovationled approach to sustainable mining, which brings together technology and digitalisation to drive sustainability outcomes, including its commitment to carbon-neutrality across operations by 2040.

Diesel emissions from its haul truck fleet account for c.10-15 per cent of Anglo American’s total Scope 1 emissions, and if this pilot is successful, it could remove up to 80 per cent of diesel emissions at its open pit mines by rolling this technology across its global fleet.

To further its efforts, in December Anglo American signed a binding agreement with First Mode to combine its nuGen™ ZEHS with First Mode with the intention to accelerate its development and commercialisation.

Upon closing the transaction, the companies will enter into a supply agreement, with First Mode to decarbonise Anglo American’s global fleet of ultra-class mine haul trucks, of which approximately 400 are currently in operation. The rollout across Anglo American’s haul truck fleet over the next c.15 years is subject to committed studies across seven mine sites, certain performance and cost criteria, and relevant regulatory, corporate and shareholder approvals. The supply agreement also includes the appropriate provision of critical supporting infrastructure such as refuelling, recharging, and facilitation of hydrogen production.

Anglo American is also playing a role in supporting broader decarbonisation objectives outside its own business. The technologies and capabilities that it has been developing as part of the nuGen™ project with First Mode present opportunities beyond Anglo American’s haul truck fleet, including across other industries that rely on heavy duty forms of transport, such as rail.

In addition to accelerating the development and commercialisation of the ZEHS technology, the new combined business will allow strategic third parties to co-invest alongside Anglo American and First Mode, offering the opportunity to accelerate their own decarbonisation and participate in the potential offered by the clean ZEHS technology.

UNSW researchers tackle the challenge of hydrogendiesel hybrid engines

There is also research underway for a hybrid hydrogen-diesel engine. The University of New South Wales Sydney’s School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering has developed a Hydrogen-Diesel Direct Injection Dual-Fuel System which will allow existing diesel engines to run using 90 per cent hydrogen as fuel. The system has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 85 per cent in the process.

The research team said that any diesel engine used in trucks and power equipment in the transportation, agriculture and mining industries could ultimately be retrofitted to the new hybrid system in just a couple of months.

The collaborative research found that specifically timed hydrogen direct injection controls the mixture condition inside the cylinder of the engine, resolves the problem of harmful nitrogen oxide emissions that have been a major hurdle for commercialisation of hydrogen engines.

Importantly, the new Hydrogen-Diesel Direct Injection DualFuel System does not require extremely high purity hydrogen which must be used in alternative hydrogen fuel cell systems and is more expensive to produce.

Compared to existing diesel engines, an efficiency improvement of more than 26 per cent has been shown in the diesel-hydrogen hybrid, achieved by independent control of hydrogen direct injection timing, as well as diesel injection timing, enabling full control of combustion modes – premixed or mixing-controlled hydrogen combustion.

The team believes the most immediate potential use for the new technology is in industrial locations where permanent hydrogen fuel supply lines are already in place, including mine sites where there is hydrogen fuel infrastructure in place.

A paper published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy by Professor Kook’s (UNSW) team shows that using their patented hydrogen injection system reduces CO2 emissions to just 90g/kWh – 85.9 per cent below the amount produced by the diesel-powered engine.

The hydrogen-battery hybrid truck is part of Anglo American’s nuGen™ ZEHS. Credit: Anglo American.

Anglo America’s 2MW hydrogen-battery hybrid truck.

Credit: Anglo American.

A whole of industry effort

Along with these projects, other mining and METS companies are working to accelerate decarbonisation of mine haul trucks and other machinery.

Charge On Innovation Challenge

BHP, Rio Tinto and Vale have come together to launch the Charge On Innovation Challenge in 2021, a global competition for technology innovators to develop new concepts for largescale haul truck electrification systems to help significantly cut emissions from surface mine operations and unlock safety, productivity, and operational improvements.

When the challenge was launched, vendors and technology innovators from around the world and across industries were invited to collaborate with the mining industry to present novel electric truck charging solutions.

The Challenge received interest from over 350 companies across 19 industries, with over 80 companies submitting expressions of interest. 21 companies were then invited to present a detailed pitch of their solution. The final eight were chosen from these 21 companies.

In May 2022, from these 21 companies, the final eight technology innovators’ submissions were selected to progress beyond the Charge On Innovation Challenge, including: ABB, Ampcontrol and Tritium (Australia), BluVeinXL, DB Engineering & Consulting with Echion Technologies, Hitachi, Shell Consortium, Siemens Off-board power supply, and 3ME Technology.

Winners are collaborating with interested mining companies, OEMs and investors to accelerate the technology development to support the future roll-out of zero-emissions fleets.

BHP’s first fully-electric Jumbo

BHP has a medium-term target to reduce operational GHG gas emissions by at least 30 per cent by FY2030, from an FY2020 baseline. Approximately 40 per cent of BHP’s operational emissions in its FY2020 baseline year came from dieselpowered vehicles.

In November 2022, BHP unveiled a fully-electric Jumbo at Olympic Dam, which will be tested for efficiency, productivity and comfort over a 12-month trial period as part of its efforts to reduce operational GHG emissions, including by minimising reliance on diesel.

The 28.7t, 14.5m-long battery-electric Epiroc Boomer M2 “Jumbo” will be powered by a 150kW traction motor and 150kW battery system.

Jumbos are used in underground mining development to drill holes, which are then loaded with explosives and open up new areas. Post-blasting Jumbos install large bolts to stabilise mine walls.

BHP currently operates 16 Epiroc Jumbos at Olympic Dam.

The fully-electric Jumbo will also break new ground in its user experience by reducing noise and vibration, and eliminating heat and the emissions of diesel particulate matter.

The trial of the Jumbo also supports BHP’s efforts to minimise the operational impact of diesel particulate matter in underground mining operations by 2025, as part of its participation in the International Council on Mining and Metals’ Innovation for Cleaner, Safer Vehicles initiative.

The fully-electric Jumbo trial builds on electric vehicle initiatives at Nickel West in Western Australia, Olympic Dam in South Australia and BMA’s Broadmeadow mine in Queensland.

BHP is also collaborating with Caterpillar Inc. and Komatsu to develop zero-emissions electrified haul trucks, and battery-electric locomotives with Wabtec Corporation and  Progress Rail.

A PORTABLE VALVE ACTUATOR FOR THE MINING SECTOR

By definition, open pit mines are often located in remote areas, and can be large or even gigantic (some mines are much larger than large cities).

The process of operating a mine is complex and involves many industries. The infrastructure (electricity, clean water, wastewater, roads, etc.) is comparable to that of a large city, not to mention the industrial infrastructure itself.

Water is a resource that is used extensively in all areas and its supply is critical. It often comes from far away and is transported by large pipelines.

Whether in the water pumping stations at the ocean's edge, on the route of the pipelines or – above all – in the mine itself, the water networks are complex, with enormous flows and consequently large valves. Often, these valves are manual and, given their size and the torque required, require several thousand turns of the hand wheel to open or close them, which represents a very long operating time.

Modec portable valve actuators are used for preventive maintenance

♦ Drastic reduction in operating time

♦ Reduced fatigue, risk of accidents and occupational illness

♦ Protection of the valve itself with our power, speed and torque control systems

♦ Increased valve service life due to shorter, easier and therefore more regular maintenance operations

♦ The valves are of course located in remote and sometimes very isolated locations

This is where the Modec range is of particular interest due to the possibility of using portable battery-powered actuators (with a continuous autonomy of up to 90 minutes), or actuators with

combustion engine (in this case the autonomy is limited only by the size of the petrol canister taken by the operator).

For the numerous valves located in pumping stations or water treatment complexes (most often equipped with a compressed air network), a particularly powerful and light pneumatic compressed portable actuator can also be used. It is also possible to use one of the battery-powered actuators directly connected to the mains for total autonomy.

♦ Simple installation: The portable actuator and flying adapter can be installed in seconds

♦ Ease of use: The device is intuitive, safe, lightweight and can be used safely by anyone

♦ Robustness: Portable actuators do not require any special maintenance and are particularly suitable for demanding environments

♦ Versatility: With only five models (two pneumatic, two battery, and one gas) and a few adapters, any valve can be handled in any environment. Whether the need is to save time by going faster or to gain strength for difficult valves, our devices are there for you

♦ Associated gains: It is not necessary to look far to see the gains brought by these portable actuators – saving time (and therefore money), reduction of accidents, sick leave and occupational illness which cost the company a lot of money, reduction of drudgery (operator satisfaction and improved productivity), drastic improvement of equipment maintenance and consequently its lifespan

Established in 1995, Field Machine Tools has thrived as a privately owned Australian company supplying portable maintenance machines and engineering solutions to clients across Australia. The business aims to flatten production downtime by providing operators with the most complete scope of products and accessories for industries across Australia and beyond.

DESIGNING BETTER LINE � S WITH DEM SIMULATION TO REDUCE MINING E Q UIPMENT WEAR

By Dr Daniel Grasser, Associate Research Fellow (IFM) and

The mineAlloy Industrial Transformation Training Centre (ITTC) is funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) and operates out of Deakin University's Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM). The Centre represents a consortium of manufacturing companies who supply goods to the mining sector. Target outcomes are job growth, increased efficiency, sustainability, and cost reduction. To reduce wear in the mining sector, the Centre’s research involves efficient alloy development and selection, based on experimental and numerical investigations. This article presents a case study using Discrete Element Modelling (DEM) to simulate the rock flow and wear behaviour of chute liners.

Micro rock-boxes for wear protection – A Discrete Element Modelling (DEM) study

Mining requires processing of solid particles that cause severe wear on the equipment. Every year, wear in mining results in worldwide economic losses

of the order of hundreds of billions of dollars and the remanufacturing of worn parts contributes a significant share of this. Chute wear is often a critical issue that affects cost and productivity.

Rock-boxes are a well-known approach to reduce wear in chutes. Here, the chute design aims to trap particles at the wearing surface and form a “box” of rocks that protects the surface during operation. The goal is to foster a flow regime with particles flowing over themselves rather than on the wear surface. The current state of the art for rock-box design is based on trial-and-error approaches. This can result in expensive re-designs, inefficient rock transportation and clogged chutes. Moreover, the application of conventional rock-boxes can be limited due to constraints of the available space within a chute. An alternative approach is to add inserts consisting of highly wear resistant materials. With thoughtful design, the two approaches can be combined with inserts fostering rock-on-rock flow regimes to further reduce wear.

The governing principles for the design of the rock-boxes and the insert placement remain unknown. For this reason, Discrete Element Modelling (DEM) (ESSS Rocky) was used for the investigation of the rock flow inside a transfer chute. DEM is a numerical tool used to investigate the interactions of up to several millions of rocks. Moreover, a

wide range of rock shapes can be applied to represent the actual rocks found on mine sites. In addition to chutes, DEM has been used to investigate mining applications including bins, hoppers and diggers exposed to abrasive wear. Using DEM allowed the systematic comparison of 35 wear plates with inserts and a conventional wear plate. A benefit of DEM is that the important rock flow parameters such as the sliding and rolling velocity, and most importantly, the effectiveness of an evolving protective rock layer (which is an important measure for the micro rock-box design), can be assessed. A non-spherical particle shape representing the rock shape was used as shown in Figure 1. The sieve size of the investigated cases ranged from 3.5mm to 32mm.

ITTC manager (mineAlloy), Deakin University

Figure 1: Example of non-spherical rocks implemented in the DEM study.

A 65⁰ transfer chute was implemented in the DEM model (Figure 2). The input velocity of the rocks falling into the chute was 12m/s, which is approximately equal to the velocity occurring at the exit zone of a chute with a head height of 10m. Wear plates consisting of a matrix (i.e. base plate) and inserts (i.e. reinforcements) were investigated (Figure 2). Different numbers of inserts have been investigated. Where an increasing number of inserts decreased the spacing between them, and a wear plate fully consisting of inserts represented a conventional wear liner. Moreover, the size (diameter of the circular inserts) and exposure height of the inserts from the matrix were studied. An example of an investigated chute with a wear liner with inserts is shown in Figure 2.

rocks in contact with the wearing surface possessed the lowest sliding velocity as shown in Figure 3.

The resulting rock flow was then analysed for the representative crosssection (Figure 3) in the centre of the wear plates. A special focus was set on the rocks in contact with the wearing surface. Interestingly, an optimum wear liner design was derived when the inserts were placed in geometrical relationships in respect to the size of the processed rocks. It was found that a spacing between the inserts approximately equal to the rock size was most beneficial. Other important geometrical parameters of the inserts are the diameter and the exposure height of the inserts from the matrix. The sieve size (50 per cent passing) of the rocks was seen to be an important parameter to represent the size of the cohesionless rocks. For the optimum wear liner with inserts, the

In this case, a protective rock layer acted as a protective cushion on top of the wear surface. Moreover, the optimum wear liner with inserts showed a tendency to change the mechanism from rock sliding against the chute liner towards a mechanism where the rocks rolled over themselves at a slower velocity. The sliding velocity of the rocks near the wear surface was up to 6x slower for the wear liner with inserts. The sliding velocity is well-known to be the main contributor to abrasive wear, thus, this indicated a change of the rock flow near the wear surface into a significantly less severe wear regime. In contrast, the build-up of a protective rock layer did not occur for the conventional wear liner.

Rocks partly flowing over themselves and not on the wear surface of the chute provides a significant benefit. As a result, the simulations indicated that the optimum insert design offers a longer service life than conventional wear liners. Most importantly, the optimum wear liner required only a reduced vol% of insert material (<50 vol%) compared to a conventional wear liner fully (100 vol%) consisting of insert material. This implies benefits in terms of economic use of materials and sustainability.

In summary, Discrete Element Modelling (DEM) was used to compare different wear plate designs with inserts. Using DEM, the rock flow was analysed, which is difficult to assess experimentally. The benefits of wear plates with inserts are attributed to the development of protective micro rock-boxes evolving between the inserts and temporarily locking rocks between them. The inserts can thus be placed to foster a less severe wear regime by sustaining this protective rock layer. The design principles thus developed are providing extended wear life in experimental trials.

The study was conducted as part of a PhD project at Deakin University under the supervision of Associate Professor Michael Pereira (School of Engineering), Professor Matthew Barnett and Dr Santiago Corujeira Gallo (Institute for Frontier Materials (IFM)).

Figure 2: Implementation of a wear plate with inserts inside a transfer chute.

Figure 3: Rock velocity. Left: conventional wear liner, right: wear liner with inserts.

Dr Daniel Grasser.

TURNING TRASH INTO TREASURE:

GIVING A SECOND LIFE TO CORPORATE TEXTILE WASTE

As the mining industry works to become more sustainable to meet environment, social and governance goals (ESG), one strategy that can be implemented is the circular economy – a concept that looks to eliminate waste and pollution by generating value from normally wasteful processes. Currently, the most common application of circular economy in the industry involves reprocessing tailings materials in order to extract leftover minerals, however, this is not the only form circular economy can take. There are plenty of opportunities for mining companies to take advantage of the resources available to mining operations, such as old uniforms, to implement circular economy practices and work towards ESG goals at the same time.

By now most of us have heard of the massive amounts of textiles we, in the developed world, send to landfill as a result of fast fashion and overconsumption. In Australia alone, each individual buys almost 15kg of clothes every year –making the country the second highest consumer of textiles in the world per capita – and most of this ends up in landfill.

Lucy Tomassini, Projects and Business Development Manager at Loop Upcycling – a social enterprise leading the way in the circular economy by upcycling corporate waste – said, “Australia is the second-highest consumer of textiles in the world, with Australians discarding close to 800,000 tonnes of clothing1 and textiles each year, at a rate of 15 tonnes every ten minutes.

“Australia has historically lagged behind some other countries in both recognising and dealing with the textile waste problem. In fact, textiles until very recently weren't even recognised as a waste stream by local or federal governments. People would concentrate on the traditional waste streams of paper, glass, and plastic bottles without understanding that 70 per cent2 of the world's textiles contain exactly the same chemicals.

“It is estimated that over 50 per cent of working Australians wear a uniform3. These uniforms are typically replaced every 12 months, with high-vis workwear being replaced more often (recommended every six months) to meet safety standards. Not to mention the amount of times companies go through a rebrand. Presuming these textiles are tossed in the bin, that's a whole lot of landfill! Currently, businesses in Australia throw away or destroy a mind-blowing amount of uniforms.”

Finding a sustainable solution

Extending the life of old uniforms and upcycling them is one strategy that mining companies can implement with major benefits. Aside from minimising the volume of materials and waste being sent to landfill every year, it also reduces the amount of production using new or raw materials, which in turn

reduces air and water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, and can help conserve global resources.

“Loop believes that businesses should take responsibility for their textile waste, by considering the afterlife of their workwear and making a commitment to keep as much out of landfills as possible,” Ms Tomassini said.

“We understand the concept of upcycling and reuse might be novel to many companies, but we want to encourage businesses to rethink the way they consume and discard, by recognising their redundant workwear as something that still has value and can be repurposed and reused.

“Studies show that extending the life of clothing by just nine months would already reduce carbon, water, and waste footprint by 20-30 per cent4.”

Tackling the problem together

Loop Upcycling was founded in 2017 as a sustainable solution to Virgin Australia’s redundant uniforms and has grown into a West Australian circular economy social enterprise and Australia's first corporate upcycling company.

The organisation works with companies to develop unique and innovative programs to deal with redundant uniforms –diverting them from landfills and upcycling them into new, useful products, such as tote bags, duffle bags, hats, backpacks, and much more. Loop supports new migrants and refugees, those in the justice system, living with a disability, suffering from mental illness, victims of domestic violence, the homeless, and older Australians.

Its mission is two-fold: to save the 800,000 tonnes of clothing Australia sends to landfills each year and to support those most in need in our communities through meaningful training and employment opportunities.

It has a goal to reduce the 800,000 tonnes of textiles that Australia sends to landfills each year while creating training and employment opportunities for people living with disadvantages.

“We provide companies with a pioneering circular solution to their corporate textile waste through sustainable and practical upcycling programs. Our unique three-stage approach of re-wear, upcycling, and recycling, enables Australian businesses to take ownership of their textile waste and make a meaningful social impact along the way,” Ms Tomassini said.

“We encourage them to upcycle their workwear into products that they will use or currently already purchase, such as items for staff or merchandise for events. This not only allows us to help minimise their waste but also their consumption.

“Once we have confirmed the best repurposing solution for our client, their workwear is then collected and transported to our warehouse to be counted, sorted, cleaned and prepared for the next stage. Often, we will support companies in setting up collection points within their operations, to collect redundant uniforms which would otherwise be discarded by staff.

“Loop provides the following circular solutions to workwear waste:

“1. Re-wear: workwear that is in great/new condition, where we can rebrand or securely cover old branding. We can return these back to the company (depending on their branding preferences) or we can redistribute them through our network of community organisations and social enterprises.

“2. Upcycling: workwear waste is transformed into new, functional products that can be reused by businesses. Our goal is to repurpose redundant materials into items that will be useful for companies or can replace something they are already currently buying, such as items for staff, merchandise for events or items for the community.

“3. Recycling: material that cannot be reworn or upcycled, will be recycled. We ensure we repurpose as much of the usable material as possible. Only material that is completely unusable and scraps left over from the upcycling process will then be recycled or downcycled.

“We can upcycle all sorts of different materials – if we can sew it, we can upcycle it! We mainly upcycle workwear but have also upcycled banner mesh. We make different items such as duffle bags, tote bags, backpacks, hats, aprons, lunch bags, teddies, and pencil cases and continue to custom design all sorts of new products.

“Throughout the process, we engage people experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage, such as refugees, new migrants, victims of domestic abuse, and people experiencing homelessness. Through our upcycling solutions and partnerships with local community organisations, we provide training, upskilling, and employment programs to those in our community that need it most. We take a person-centered approach and believe all people have the right to pursue meaningful work.”

So far Loop Upcycling has already diverted over 38 tonnes of workwear from landfill and continues to support all people experiencing vulnerability in our community through training and employment opportunities, created through its sustainable workwear solutions.

“Loop is continuing to see an ever-growing demand, as businesses seek innovative ways to become more environmentally and socially responsible,” Ms Tomassini said.

1. https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/waste/product-stewardship/textile-waste-roundtable#:~:text=Australia%20is%20the%20second%20highest,the%20textile%20waste%20we%20generate

2. https://www.choice.com.au/shopping/everyday-shopping/ethical-buying-and-giving/articles/textile-waste-and-how-to-reduce-it

3. https://www.cargocrew.com.au/work-uniform-industry-statistics-research/

4. https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/jul/20/renting-fashion-can-be-green-argue-clothes-renters

SUSTAINABILITY THE ROADMAP TO COPPER MINE

By Rebecca Todesco, Assistant Editor, Mining Magazine

Global emissions targets and pledges have spurred a flurry of activity in countries around the world, with a range of locations and companies looking to embrace innovations and technology that will advance them towards net zero emissions targets. A report by the International Copper Association Australia (ICAA) has explored what this changeover will look like for copper mining and strategies the industry can utilise to propel itself towards a more sustainable future.

Net zero emissions targets have seen a strong uptick in the adoption of green technologies and renewable energy across a multitude of industries around Australia and the world.

The Australian resources and mining industry is not immune to this wave of change, with increased demand for minerals that are needed for the green energy movement, like copper, and decreasing mineral ore grade placing additional pressure on mine operators and mining companies.

The ICAA’s Zero Emission Copper Mine of the Future – Material Movement report and innovation roadmap unpacks and explores the current drivers for copper demand in emissionsfree energy systems, especially in relation to international emissions reduction agreements. Also discussed in the report is the adoption of renewable energy, either at the site or supplied from nearby grid-connected systems, and electrifying mining systems.

The Material Movement report is the third study in three years concentrating on the cutting edge technology that can help copper mines reach net zero emissions, with another two more reports planned.

The ‘copper renaissance’, as the ICAA report calls it, is also being driven by the diversification and increasing application of electrical-based technologies, including electric vehicles (EVs), and the necessary charging network, batteries, transmission infrastructure, and renewable energy generation they require.

Although Latin American output continues to dominate the copper sector, Australia ranks as the sixth largest copper producer in the world, with refined copper use predicted to grow 3.2 per cent to 26,126kt in 2022 from 2021 levels.

The increased demand for copper coupled with declining ore grades will mean more material will be moved at copper mining sites around the world.

The Material Movement report and roadmap delves into five separate technical themes – fragmentation, convey and sort, haulage, dispose and reuse, and digital and automation – and explores technology solutions that are available for each theme, covering Horizon One (today), Horizon Two (tomorrow), and Horizon Three (future solutions), and providing a guide for copper producers to reduce or eliminate site emissions related to material movement.

However, the report is also very clear on the fact that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for emissions reduction, with the costs of technologies and their readiness levels constantly changing and evolving. The report instead offers a snapshot of the state of the industry in mid-2022 while advising that primary copper producers that make wise decisions, prepare earlier and carry out plans well will be at an advantage over the late responders.

Fine tuning fragmentation

Making up the primary stage in the extraction process to recover minerals from an orebody, fragmentation involves fracturing waste and mineralised rocks into a variety of particle sizes, enabling the efficient movement of material in a downstream process.

Every stage of the fragmentation process requires energy to reach a desired particle size and is usually achieved by one of two processes; high pressure grinding systems to achieve optimum particle sizing for maximum economical mineral recovery, or the blasting of in situ rock for bulk material movement.

Knowledge of the geological and geotechnical properties of various rock types is necessary to achieve optimum particle size with minimum energy input.

A key challenge of fragmentation is drill and blast strategy that does not achieve appropriate fragmentation, which can then result in significant cost impacts related to loading, hauling, and primary crushing.

Other challenges also include difficulties involved with avoiding dilution when ore and waste are in close proximity and the risks associated with underground blasting, including contamination of underground water systems due to explosives seeping into underground aquifers.

The Material Movement report references innovation available for current use, including technology for drill alignment, blast monitoring technology, blast simulation technology, and cloudbased systems.

The asset upgrades and capital replacement the report explores in regards to fragmentation include wireless initiating systems, underground drill fleet electrification, and ultra-high intensity blasting techniques.

Additionally, surgical mining, in situ recovery (ISR) mining methods, and surface drill fleet electrification were introduced as Horizon Three operations which can aid copper producers to reduce site emissions related to material movement.

Convey and sort process transformation

The convey and sort process refers to the activities of transporting and identifying mineralised ore and gangue material within the mining operation. In a copper operation, conveyor systems are utilised for material and ore transportation, ultimately delivering the mineralised ore to a plant for processing or to a primary crushing station.

Ore sorting refers to the process of separating material into various mineralised grades – high grade, low grade, or waste, to name a few – with sorting often achieved by passing the

ore over a variety of sensors which evaluate the chemical or physical properties of the material and identify the rock particle to be separated by using amplified mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic processes.

A fundamental challenge in conveying and ore sorting involves the dimensions and size of the system, as they are fixed assets and cannot be incrementally contracted or expanded. Underloading systems can lead to excessive power consumption per unit of material moved, whereas overload can result in excessive system maintenance.

Conveyor monitoring and protection, near face sorting, mechanical ejection, and regulation of belt speed are some of the current operations being utilised by copper producers for incremental improvement.

The report lists regenerative belt conveyors, magnetic resonance technology, automated and integrated conveyor systems, and distributed drive technology as some of the Horizon Two processes which will help copper producers in their emissions reductions schemes.

The future operations that can help reduce emissions in conveying and sorting processes, as detailed in the report’s innovation roadmap, include underground vertical conveyor systems, real-time data analytics, integrated solutions and coarse particle flotation.

Innovations in haulage

Material haulage is an integral activity across the mining value chain and covers every aspect of ore and waste movement, commencing from the time of fragmentation to arrival at a destination, such as the direct deposit to waste or storage zones or beneficiation and mineral processing stream.

The demand for material haulage is surging across the copper mining industry as a result of a number of factors, like increased volume related to market demand, declining ore grades, and hauling distance and depth.

Most equipment used in mining operations, including haulage equipment, is powered by internal combustion engines (ICEs), using diesel fuel. The transition to alternate hauling technologies, which mitigate or entirely eliminate diesel use, is a crucial step towards the zero emission copper mines of the future. Stringent industry standards have been introduced in an attempt to address and regulate diesel efficiency and use.

One of the most immediate issues related to diesel use in mine vehicles is the release of harmful particulate matter into the air. Additionally, fuel supply chain and price risks are also becoming more apparent across all industries with global fuel prices facing increased upward pressure.

This has prompted moves to convert to electric-powered equipment, which boasts advantages over diesel-powered equipment including higher service life, lower maintenance requirements, higher energy efficiency and reduced generation of pollutants, heat and noise.

Some of the biggest challenges or barriers in converting haul trucks in mines to all-electric and/or carbon-neutral infrastructure include up-front capital expenditure (CAPEX), refuelling and charging infrastructure, technology maturity and availability, supply chain availability, creation of policies and regulatory settings, and skills development.

Remote operation of haulage trucks, shovels or supporting processes, as well as ICE monitoring and control systems, and ICE energy recovery systems and technologies are some of the practices in use today to mitigate diesel consumption.

The ICAA roadmap offers ICE emissions controls, renewable diesel/biofuels, autonomous haulage, and fast charging systems as some of the ‘tomorrow’ technologies which can propel copper mines to a greener future.

The ICAA report predicts that these kinds of strategies will eventually lead to future operations like embedded pure battery-electric and hybrid, inductive/wireless charging, hydrogen fuel and renewable P2X products, and hydrogenelectric hybrid BEVs.

Making a circular economy through dispose and reuse

The dispose and reuse theme entails the material movement specifically linked to the generation and storage of waste rock and tailings from the primary production of copper, with the ‘reuse’ element encouraging a shift to a more circular economy model rather than the traditional ‘take-make-usedispose’ model.

As such, a roadmap that features the dispose and reuse theme introduces options to reconstruct waste material movement which can reduce overall emissions and drive efficiency efforts across a site when compared to existing practices. Current operations to do so involve the sensing, monitoring and surveillance, backfill technologies, accelerated mechanical consolidation (AMC), and waste material planning, design, scenario modelling and optimisation.

The ICAA report offers options for asset upgrades and capital replacement like dry stacking, shared knowledge platforms, novel dewatering-press filtration, and advanced crusting agents and dust control.

Such processes could eventually lead to Horizon Three technologies like novel dewatering, trace mineral recovery –sulphide leaching and bio mining – and trace and low grade mineral recovery – electrokinetic in situ leaching (EK-ISL).

Digital and Automation transformation

Current practice has mines relying heavily on individuals to record and report information for downstream collation and interpretation, so the main purpose of digital and automation technologies is to unlock greater efficiency and enhance interoperability.

The ever changing nature of operations may give rise to circumstances where data may not be gathered to time, cost or effort, which can then cause performance inefficiencies due to information and data from one business unit not readily transmitted to other parts of the business where direct benefits could be realised.

The copper industry is constantly required to improve efficiency and productivity which often calls for a comprehensive approach encompassing all aspects of the mining operation, from exploration and development through to production and post-mining activities.

Information technology can play a crucial role in this process, but automation implementation also faces operational challenges, including harshness of the mine environment which can be damaging to sensors, actuators, and other equipment.

Technology and procedures in practice today involve utilisation of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), autonomous UGV/UAV for inspection applications, and pervasive geospatial information systems.

These kinds of practices can help to pave the way for Horizon Two technology like machine learning-based orebody modelling, autonomous vehicle technology and adoption, and anomaly prediction and preventative maintenance, eventually leading to Horizon Three innovations like robotic precision drilling and advanced communication technologies.

Mine operating systems are already under pressure, and with declining ore grades and copper demand predicted to grow by 21 per cent each year until 2027, it is more critical than ever to boost the sustainability of material movement at copper mines and ultimately cut emissions entirely.

The processes of fragmentation, conveying and sorting, haulage, disposing and reusing, and digitalisation and automation are open to technological advances – available today (Horizon One), in the near future (Horizon Two) or long term (Horizon Three) – which are essential to cutting emissions.

Although there is no one-size-fits-all-solution due to the differences between open cut, underground and hybrid operations, adopting innovations and new technologies has the ability to transform copper mines and propel copper producers towards net zero operations futures.

The full Zero Emission Copper Mine of the Future – Material Movement report can be accessed at https://copper.com.au/about/projects/roadmap-to-zero/zero-emission-copper-mine -of-the-future-material-movement-report/.

AUTOMATION IN ESG FRAMEWORK:

HOW AUTOMATION CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUSTAINABILITY OF MINERAL RESOURCES SUPPLY

Technological advancements are paving the way for the mining industry to adopt smart technology and automation, ultimately leading to the adoption of Industry 4.0. Professor Mohsen Yahyaei is an expert in process modelling, optimisation, and control of mineral processing circuits working as the director of Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) to bring new technology to the major mining companies he works with.

Professor Yahyaei gave insight on the autonomous systems utilised in the industry, the potential risks involved with employing this technology, and some of the work he’s undertaking through JKMRC.

What is automation in the mining industry?

Professor Yahyaei said that when it comes to the topic of autonomous mining it is important to understand and distinguish between the various levels of automation.

“Automation at its basic level starts with some function-specific tasks being automated, and decision support is provided while the operator maintains control over the process.

“On the other extreme, a fully autonomous system is the state that, in all situations, an automated system makes all decisions and deals with unusual conditions without human operators overseeing the system or process.”

He said that a fully autonomous system is the ultimate target when talking about automation, and that even though the mining industry has implemented automation for the past 25 years in its various business processes, the state of automation varies between operations and companies.

“Some companies are well and truly advanced in automating their processes to the extent that they use autonomous systems and have the infrastructure to manage and operate their processes remotely.

“However, the level of automation has yet to progress evenly across all sections of the operation and also it has a long way to go to a fully autonomous system.”

Despite this, Professor Yahyaei said mining and extraction are ahead of the other sections of the operation regarding automation.

“There has been an acceleration in the adaptation of automation technologies in the mining industry with increased attention to Industry 4.0.

“In mineral processing – which is my main area of focus – Advanced Process Control (APC) and Model Predictive Control (MPC) have developed significantly over the past decade.

“Most vendors have equipped their process control platforms with APC, and MPC features.”

According to Professor Yahyaei, many companies and operations have progressed in their journey toward advanced process control for their mineral processing plants.

The value of automation

Professor Yahyaei said there is a general misconception that autonomous systems are primarily a means for reducing the cost of the workforce and, consequently, the cost of production.

He also detailed some of the ways automation of processes could deliver value to the industry, including:

♦ Stable operation, leading to higher overall production, consistent product quality and improved productivity

♦ Reliable and predictable processes, enabling targeted and accurate economic optimisation of the operation

♦ Optimum operating conditions, increasing equipment life and consequently reducing operating costs and downtime

♦ Reliable data on water, energy, emissions and consumables usage, which can be used for managing and forecasting the costs and optimising utilisation

♦ Autonomy of more mundane tasks, allowing operators to focus on more rewarding and higher-skilled tasks

♦ Use of autonomous units in hazardous environments, improving safety

Automation and ensuring a sustainable supply

Professor Yahyaei expects that automation will have a significant impact on the sustainability of mineral resources production and supply.

“The key aspect of the sustainable supply of minerals to the developing society is ensuring that all impacts of the mining activities on the environment and society are measured transparently and managed according to the frameworks developed as part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.”

He emphasised that reliable and consistent data and transparency are inherent features of automation because it will not be trusted and achieved without them. As such, automation could be the foundation for providing consistent and transparent data needed to measure and manage a sustainable supply of resources.

“On top of that, automation is the means for reducing the losses and inefficiency of the mining process and ensuring maximum utilisation of environmental resources.”

Automation’s influence on mining’s ESG

One of the other areas mining in Australia can expect to see changes created by automation is in the industry’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.

“Process autonomy is a key tactic for the minerals industry to achieve its ambitious environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals set for 2030 and 2050,” Professor Yahyaei said.

“The mining process is energy intensive. Mining processes utilise environmental resources significantly and generally have a large carbon and environmental footprint.

“Therefore, autonomy for mining operations presents a considerable opportunity based on the advantages mentioned earlier.”

In regard to the social impact of automation, however, we still have a long way to understand it fully.

“We still need to investigate and fully understand all aspects of the impacts of automation on social aspects and then incorporate those in all aspects of conceptualisation, design and implementation of automation in the industry.

“In my opinion, this is one of the big gaps in the current state of automation in our industry.”

Changing the landscape of the future workforce

Over the last few decades the mining industry has become more complex and multi-disciplinary as the scale of the industry has increased.

According to Professor Yahyaei, the automation of the mining industry has added to the complexity of the business on the one hand, but has also reduced the complexity of most routine tasks. He said these changes will significantly impact the landscape of the future workforce and have already impacted the current workforce.

“The skills and capabilities required for the workforce in the industry are transitioning from specific and targeted technical knowledge and experiences toward diverse and wide technological capabilities and skills and capabilities to perform in a multi-disciplinary and complex environment with a strong emphasis on soft skills.

“Given that most manual and routine tasks benefit from automation, operators need to know how to run and manage automated technologies rather than the mining process itself.

“I understand many of the scholars in the mining industry might disagree with this view, but our industry is changing the same way that computer has changed the landscape of science education. For instance, manually conducting mathematical calculations or statistical analysis is no longer required, and we use computers for most of those.

“One should only understand the concept and know what tool to use. In fact, some software packages are smart enough to identify and suggest an appropriate analysis tool based on the problem's definition.”

He said the landscape in the business is changing in the same fashion.

“In most cases, a detailed understanding of the processes and interdependency between parameters is not essential, and most of those are taken care of by process automation.”

According to Professor Yahyaei, it is, however, essential for the workforce to implement high-level thinking to identify bottlenecks and manage the available resources to remove them.

“This aspect was one of the operator’s duties before automation as well, but by automating most processes, the nature of this task has changed, and the focus of debottlenecking efforts is across the whole operation rather than parts of the process, and also has a significantly faster pace to cope with the speed of automated systems.”

Professor Yahyaei said the current and future workforce should work comfortably with technology, only focusing on the capabilities and features that advanced technologies offer and without understanding the complexity of what is beneath.

“A holistic view and understanding of the operation is also a key capability that the future workforce should demonstrate. The workforce level will influence the essential skills.

“The skills of people developing advanced technologies will differ from those who will manage the technology, and people who will operate the technology will require different skill sets. There will be some skill overlaps, but skill sets will differ for each role.”

This is an aspect that Professor Yahyaei said our education system is missing.

“Recognising the skill sets required for various roles and bringing a multidisciplinary approach to training and education of the future workforce beyond the traditional disciplines is a must for a successful transition to an automated industry, and our education system is lagging behind.”

According to Professor Yahyaei, one of the underlying reasons for the inefficiencies observable in the implementation and adaptation of automation in the mining industry is how the current workforce is educated.

“There is a big gap in this aspect, and it requires a collective effort of the industry, private and public education sectors and governments to address the gap.“

The inherent risks of automation

In contrast to automation’s advantages of reducing the risks for mining operation by removing the workforce from hazardous environments and reducing risks through consistency and coherence in the decision-making process as well as accessibility to necessary data, Professor Yahyaei said automation imposes new risks.

“Automation is a double edge sword when it comes to risk.

“One of the major risks is when automation is done partially, and there is a mix of manual and automated processes within an operation. This situation will increase the risk of wrong decisions and incidents due to high uncertainty and a more dynamic environment.

“The uncertainty decreases when the operation is fully automated, and the process becomes more predictable.

“Another aspect of risk with implementing automation is the scale and size of damage in case of incidents which is expected to be larger due to the speed and scale of automated processes.”

Professor Yahyaei said that although automation has the potential to reduce risk, the risks must be fully evaluated and managed during the design, implementation, and integration into the process.

“When a process is automated, it will change the processes of the automated section and many other sections affected. Therefore, a thorough review of the processes and risk assessment and management is essential to make the risk of automation manageable.

“The risk aspect of automation also has many gaps and requires better understanding and we are actively working on this topic in collaboration with world-leading experts.”

The Advanced Process Prediction and Control research group at JKMRC

The Advanced Process Prediction and Control research group was established in 2017 at Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC).

Professor Yahyaei said the goal of the group was to build on a long history of JKMRC in developing phenomenological process models and develop solutions for real-time process prediction and control.

“Most of the process models developed in JKMRC are in application for process design, process diagnosis and optimisation by plant metallurgists, consultants and engineering firms and they are tested and validated extensively with industrial data.

“However, we realised that with the increased emphasis on transitioning to Industry 4.0 in mining, we need to develop and offer solutions to enable advanced process control.

“Our research group pioneers developing solutions for real-time process prediction and advanced control based on validated semiphenomenological models.”

Developing dynamic models for critical processes such as materials handling and storage – which significantly impact process stability – is another aspect that the research group is leading in the industry.

The dynamic materials storage model that Professor Yahyaei’s research group has developed is unique in the sense that it calibrates to a small-scale laboratory test, and it can predict material size segregation. The model is also validated with industrial data.

“We also took a unique approach in leveraging the power of Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to guide our mathematical models and avoid using them as black box models for modelling mineral processing processes for which we have robust and validated semi-phenomenological models.”

In the past two years, the research group has commenced research in utilising ML for advanced process control by learning the complexity of interactions between various parts of the process and guiding operators for best debottlenecking strategies.

Developing soft sensors – which are mathematical models to calculate and infer parameters that are not practically possible to measure directly – is another area of focus and an aspect which Professor Yahyaei said the group has been “leading the topic by developing and offering soft sensors to the industry”.

“Our Mill Filling Inference Tool (JKMRC Mill FIT) is a soft sensor which has been very successful and its application in the industry is growing rapidly.

“We have a long list of soft sensors under development which provide more visibility across the mineral processing circuit and not only assists plant

metallurgists in their decision-making, but also improves reliability of the data collected from hard sensors.”

According to Professor Yahyaei, addressing the issue of trust in automation by filling the gaps in data accuracy, risk analysis and management, and improving decisionmaking support systems by using semiphenomenological models is a new line of multidisciplinary and collaborative research in the research group.

Unpacking the JKMRC Mill FIT

The JKMRC Mill Filling Inference Tool is a collection of validated models that use the existing measurements for the operation of tumbling grinding mills to infer the total and ball filling inside the mill. Those two parameters are not practical to measure directly.

Operators usually use their experience to infer the mill total filling based on the power draw and trunnion’s bearing pressure or load cell measurement (if it exists).

“For measuring the ball load, operations should do a regular mill grind out – a process in which the feed to the mill is stopped, and the mill rotates until all rock charge is grounded and leaves the mill. Then the mill is stopped, and the ball charge inside the mill is measured directly,” Professor Yahyaei said.

The traditional method heavily relies on operators’ experience and requires frequent interruption of the process to correct the assumptions using direct measurements.

Professor Yahyaei said the JKMRC Mill FIT provides the total and ball filling of the mill in real time using the power draw and the mill bearing pressure or load cell.

“The tool as a soft sensor has many advantages, including no need for installation of new hardware, and the possibility of developing and integrating the tool into the process control system remotely and without interruption.

“Operations realise the tool’s value through more stable operation, which is because of accurate knowledge of the mill total and ball filling, less process interruption because of eliminating the need for frequent mill grind outs.

“Furthermore, because operators can accurately estimate the mill total and ball filling, they can operate the mill without any conservation, due to the fear of damaging the mill liners or excessive liner and grinding media wear.”

Professor Yahyaei said the group’s data demonstrates that operations could reduce the mill throughput ramp-up time after each mill shell reline and reduce production loss, which is very common after mill shell relines.

The JKMRC Mill FIT is one of the examples of the JKMRC approach in converting semiphenomenological process models into soft

sensors for inferring important operating parameters that are not practical to measure but are important for real-time optimisation.

“We have developed a soft sensor for bins and stockpiles, which provides a real-time estimation of live capacity above each feeder and also an estimation of the average size distribution of materials above each feeder,” Professor Yahyaei said.

“There is also a soft sensor for monitoring hydrocyclone’s s performance (i.e. JKMRC CycloPS) which is developed to provide a real-time estimation of the mass split, water split to overflow and underflow streams. The soft sensor can also estimate the size distribution of overflow and underflow.”

JKMRC’s role in the future of the mining industry

Professor Yahyaei described JKMRC as “a world-leading research centre that has developed and delivered process models for comminution, classification and flotation processes to the minerals industry. All models are developed based on understanding the fundamentals of each process and are validated with a wide range of laboratory and industrial data.”

Building on its established track record, JKMRC researchers and students will work with world-renowned academics at Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI) and the University of Queensland (UQ)schools, as well as international scholars on emerging challenges of the mineral industry.

The JKMRC’s aim is to develop and deliver technological innovation within a responsible ESG framework to the minerals industry.

The centre is uniquely positioned to pursue its aims thanks to JKMRC’s connections with SMI’s five other Research Centres and UQ’s Schools and Faculties.

The centre’s research focuses on identifying new processing technologies and developing semi-phenomenological process models.

“Moving on from the steady-state models previously developed at the JKMRC, the centre creates and applies new techniques that make greater use of data generated on-site and sensor technologies in combination with advanced process control, computational analytics and modelling techniques,” Professor Yahyaei said.

“The JKMRC research will offer practical tools to the minerals industry that are essential to achieve a sustainable supply of minerals to the developing society.”

RESOURCES INDUSTRY AND RELIABLE POSITIONING IMP � OVE SAFETY

EMPLOYS ACCURATE POSITIONING TO AND EFFICIENCY

By Geoscience Australia

The Australian Government’s new positioning service, the Southern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN) is estimated to deliver $1.56 billion in benefits to the resources industry in Australia over the next 30 years.

Satellite positioning technologies enable the precise navigation and positioning we rely on.

From smartphones to specialised equipment, we can position ourselves at the touch of a button. Positioning is increasingly being adopted by industry in Australia. It is integrated into the manufacturing process through chipsets and as separate ‘add on’ technology features to vehicles, machinery and equipment. Autonomous vehicles, consumer robotics, maritime shipment tracking and drone-based parcel delivery services are some of the technologies that rely on accurate positioning.

How positioning is evolving

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) typically deliver positioning with five to ten metre accuracy. Increasingly, industry applications require higher levels of performance through augmented or precise positioning options. Consumers and businesses, including within the resources sector, rely on precise positioning to gain efficiencies and improve productivity and safety.

The Federal Government has invested in new systems and infrastructure to improve the accuracy, reliability and availability of precise positioning services – enabling three to five centimetres in areas of mobile phone coverage and delivering down to as little as ten centimetres positioning across all of Australia and offshore. In the next few years, positioning certified for safety-oflife applications will also be available.

Accurate, reliable positioning across the country

In September 2022, the SouthPAN early Open Services went live. SouthPAN is a Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS), comprised of reference stations, telecommunications infrastructure, computing centres, signal generators, and satellites that provide improved positioning and navigation services across all of Australia, New Zealand, and maritime regions.

SouthPAN uses distributed ground stations to monitor signals broadcast by GNSS satellites and compares each station’s known location with position data from the satellites. See Image 1.

The GNSS signal data and measurement information is sent to correction processing facilities. The facilities aggregate the data from all ground stations, produce error corrections and status information about the GNSS satellites, and format the data in a

standardised series of messages. These messages are sent to an uplink station, which transmits data to a satellite in geostationary earth orbit. The data is broadcast to all precise positioning users, who combine SouthPAN’s data with their own observations of GNSS satellites.

SouthPAN is a joint initiative of the Australian and New Zealand Governments to provide SBAS services for Australia and New Zealand. Geoscience Australia as the Australian Government lead agency is working in collaboration with Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand on the development, deployment, and operation of SouthPAN, the first SBAS in the Southern Hemisphere.

Geoscience Australia’s Branch Head, Positioning Australia, Dr Martine Woolf, said that between 2017 and 2019 a SBAS test-bed project assessed the economic, social and environmental benefits of improved positioning technology through industry case study initiatives.

“The SBAS test-bed project demonstrated the immediate impact that SouthPAN will have on every major industry in Australia, from road, rail,

agriculture, utilities, construction, to the resources sector, and more,” Dr Woolf said.

“Precise point positioning (PPP) through SouthPAN will provide accuracy down to as little as ten centimetres, a 50 times greater precision than the current five to ten centimetre accuracy. It really is a significant difference when you do the maths and see the differences in the potential applications for industry. It is the difference between drilling a hole in the ground within five to ten metres accuracy, in comparison to as little as ten centimetres; we’re talking about a huge difference in its application.

“Additionally, regional and remote areas, as well as our maritime zones will benefit as it is a satellite-based technology that does not rely on mobile phone or internet for coverage.

“Economic analysis estimated the benefits of SouthPAN to be more than $6 billion over 30 years – it’s a real game changer for our economy, providing a real impact to every major industry in Australia.”

Positioning is being used to locate trucks on a mine site at any given time, improving safety and efficiency. Credit: Geoscience Australia.

Image 1: SouthPAN will offer accuracy down to as little as ten centimetres across Australia, New Zealand and maritime zones.

Positioning in safety applications

Precise positioning through SouthPAN will assist in the daily operations of every major industry in Australia. Dr Woolf said that precise positioning accuracy through SouthPAN will increase safety and reduce accidents in the transport, aviation and maritime sectors.

“On our roads, SouthPAN supports cooperative intelligent transport systems as well as future industries, such as autonomous vehicles,” Dr Woolf said.

“On our seas, positioning improves safety of navigation, especially in congested waters and environmentally sensitive areas, improving safety and decreasing the risk of maritime accidents.

“In our skies, from 2028, SouthPAN’s safety-of-life certified services will transform air transport, particularly in remote and regional Australia, decreasing the likelihood of flights being cancelled or diverted due to weather conditions, and minimising efforts for multiple attempts at landing.

“On our mine and construction sites, SouthPAN can increase worker safety, reducing serious injury and fatalities. For example, it is anticipated that in open pit mines fatalities can be avoided because of SouthPAN via the implementation of collision avoidance systems. Precise positioning also supports smart geofencing technologies that provide

real-time accuracy in identifying the location of workers operating vehicles and heavy machinery, alerting if they come into close proximity. This makes operations safer and more efficient.”

Positioning for the resources industry

The benefits of positioning through SouthPAN for the resources sector in Australia are estimated to be at least $1.56 billion over 30 years. Positioning technology plays a vital role in all activities along the production chain from site surveying to precise extracting and exporting of deposits, improving mining safety and boosting the industry’s productivity and profitability along the way.

“Precise poisoning technology allows mining equipment to extract resources in exact locations in accordance with mine plans and identified mineral deposits, saving time and benefiting the environment,” Dr Woolf said.

“It enables site surveying to be conducted with a high level of accuracy, ensuring areas of environmental or cultural significance are safeguarded. It also reduces environmental incidents through the use of exclusion zones to inform and alert mine operators where is safe to move.

“This technology increases effectiveness of collision avoidance systems and the

SouthPAN early Open Services coverage. Open Services (OS)-L1 SBAS covers Australia and New Zealand up to 50 nautical miles offshore; OS-DFMC and OS-PVS cover both countries’ Exclusive Economic. More information on the services available by SouthPAN are available in the SouthPAN Service Definition Document available on the Geoscience Australia website at www.ga.gov.au/southpan

Credit: Geoscience Australia.

efficiency of haul truck speeds, providing drivers with greater trust in safety mechanisms. Faster speeds of mining haul trucks enabled by more accurate collision avoidance systems are projected to deliver savings of $577 million in fuel and labour costs.

“Positioning information allows mining operators to identify the location of trucks at any point in time, what they are carrying and where it is being deposited. Being able to detect idle equipment early and more easily allows mining operators to manage activities more effectively.”

SouthPAN Open Services are openly accessible across all of Australia without users needing to install additional ground infrastructure. It greatly improves access to precise positioning solutions in Australia’s remote and regional areas.

“We are very much in the early days of what positioning through SouthPAN has to offer,” Dr Woolf said.

“What we do know is that it will pave the way for future innovation. There are great opportunities to integrate SouthPAN with a range of technologies to deliver safety, efficiency, automation and cost reduction in all aspects of industry applications. I would encourage anyone working within the resources industry to think about how positioning through SouthPAN could be a cost-effective option to integrate into your systems.”

For more information about how to access and services available by SouthPAN see the Service Definition Document on the Geoscience Australia website at ga.gov.au/southpan.

INNOVATION MAKING AUST R ALIAN MINING SAFER, MORE P RODUCTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE

By Tania Constable, Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Council of Australia

Smart helmets, drones, virtual reality and artificial intelligence. This isn’t a science fiction Hollywood movie; this is mining in Australia in 2023, played out in the Pilbara, Bendigo, Hunter Valley and Bowen Basin. When it comes to mining innovation, the land down under leads the world. This unprecedented innovation in the Australian mining industry did not, however, happen by chance. Rather, it is driven by safety, productivity and sustainability factors that have vastly improved the way the industry operates.

Australian mining has invested a whopping $30 billion in research and development since 2005 to ensure it continues to lead the globe in this space.

It has reaped the benefits of this serious investment, with unwavering commitment and strong partnerships between Australia’s miners, original equipment suppliers, university-led researchers and government agencies.

It has also made Australia a top-three jurisdiction for mining patent filings to help create an industry with unrivalled success globally.

Applications of AI in the mining industry

Technology-driven improvements are occurring through the mining lifecycle from exploration, development and operations, to closure and rehabilitation.

The outcomes have been remarkable – take for example how the industry uses artificial intelligence, which has been embedded across the mining industry.

Centralised control hubs oversee and control all aspects of a mining operation remotely.

Additionally, big data analysis helps mining companies make better use of the vast amounts of data collected from equipment and machinery daily to optimise safety, supply and productivity.

Kinetic energy from regenerative braking enables haul trucks to store and reuse energy extracted during braking, reducing vehicle fleet emissions by up to 35 per cent and operational costs by 10-15 per cent.

This has had a significant improvement in productivity and environmental outcomes.

Smart mining innovations

Smart helmets, smart vests, smart glasses and boots are just some of the wearable technology making mining safer and more productive.

At a site-by-site level, electrification and fuel switching are reducing emissions, in support of the industry’s ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Augmented and virtual reality, 3D imaging, drones, ore sorting sensors, precision mining, blockchain technology, integrated automation and solar photovoltaics are a few more examples of smart technology being utilised in the industry.

History has proven innovation transcends industries and there is no reason why mining can’t one day make a difference to other industries – domestically and internationally – aiding in their respective efforts to improve safety, productivity and sustainability.

In mining, innovation occurs across the value chain within what can be called the mining innovation ecosystem.

This includes miners, the mining workforce, the mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector, original equipment manufacturers, university-led mining research institutions, Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) and CSIRO-led research collaboration.

But if Australian mining is to maintain its position as a global innovation leader, a supportive innovation ecosystem is required.

In the same way technology rapidly develops, so too should the innovation ecosystem. This requires coordinated action and a shared commitment by industry and government.

In this way, they’ll develop and maximise the substantial opportunities that exist to reaffirm Australian mining’s position as the minerals super power that will meet the demand for the important commodities for modern life and the transition to net zero emissions.

The Digital Mine report

In September 2022, the Minerals Council of Australia launched the Digital Mine report during Minerals Week.

Utilising international benchmarks, the report reviews the mining innovation ecosystem in Australia.

It also makes a number of recommendations to improve STEM workforces, industry oriented research and innovation, and regulatory settings to support technology pilots and drive Australia’s innovation performance to the top of the rankings.

Improve collaboration to boost women in technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)

Based on the ten-year trend, it will take until 2099 to achieve a gender balance in university STEM programs.

Government, industry and universities must work together on a comprehensive range of new initiatives to boost enrolments of women in STEM courses.

Identify and formalise new skills in digital transformation for the existing mining workforce

Government should work with industry to identify new skills acquired by existing workforces as part of the digital transformation of mining and allied industries.

The new skills should be recognised by a formal qualification that supports transferability and deepens the skills in Australia’s labour force.

Priority allied industries should include civil construction, manufacturing, agriculture and defence industries.

Maintain and grow support for industry-oriented research and innovation

International innovation rankings identify that Australia has a weakness in university-industry research and development (R&D) collaboration.

The Australian Government should support next generation university-industry R&D collaboration initiatives such as the Trailblazer initiative, which better integrates research between universities and industry.

This is in addition to maintaining support for industry-oriented research initiatives such as the university-led mining research institutes, CRCs and CSIRO-led initiatives.

Prioritise the recognition of new occupations by the Australian Bureau of Statistics

Delays in recognising emerging occupations is impeding comprehensive workforce planning.

The Australian Government should work with industry to recognise emerging occupations more quickly. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is undertaking a comprehensive review of ANZSCO to reflect a modern Australian labour market and better meet stakeholder needs. The study will occur over two years.

An annual process would be desirable, given the dynamic nature of occupation changes through the digital transformation of Australian industries.

Leveraging strength of the tertiary education sector to guarantee a pipeline of mining engineers

Alarmingly, international innovation rankings confirm that Australia has a weakness in engineering graduates as a proportion of total university graduates.

Government and industry should work collaboratively to promote careers in engineering and leverage the benefit of Australia’s globally recognised strengths in university education.

Given the critical role of mining engineers in the industry workforce, the acute shortage of mining engineers, and the exceptionally high ranking of Australian universities that teach mining engineering, priority must be given to greatly expanding the future pipeline of mining engineers.

For example, the Commonwealth Innovative Places grant scheme, targeting national priority and emerging skills needs, should increase the number of available allocations from 300 to 600.

Sustainable safeguard mechanism reform

Substantial progress is already being made to develop and deploy technology to reduce emissions at industrial facilities.

The Australian Government should provide certainty and stability through the transition to net zero by 2050, by ensuring reform of the safeguard mechanism is done in close consultation with those industries and facilities affected.

Reform should ensure tailored treatment for emissions-intensive trade exposed and affected industries.

This should be based on the principle of comparative impact, ensuring exporters remain competitive.

In the last few months, the MCA has worked constructively with government to ensure this is achieved.

Establishing regulatory sandboxes for mining innovation

Currently, regulatory processes are delaying the deployment of new technologies, especially in the pilot phase.

The MCA recommends governments should establish regulatory sandboxes for the mining industry so that innovative concepts can be tested at a reduced scale, on a time-limited basis and with appropriate safeguards.

This would assist the evolution of game-changing technologies that are being developed.

There is more work to be done between industry and government to ensure practical, efficient and effective outcomes.

These recommendations form a solid basis for ensuring we accelerate the process of innovation.

The industry is ready to take on this challenge and reaffirm Australia’s mining position as a global leader, not only in supplying the minerals required for modern life and the global transition to a net zero economy, but doing it in a safer, more productive and sustainable way.

CHANGING THE WAY THE ENERGY AND RESOURCES INDUSTRY LOOKS AT MENTAL HEALTH

By Rebecca Todesco, Assistant Editor, Mining Magazine

Safeguarding the physical health, safety and wellbeing of employees is crucial for organisations in the Australian energy and resources industry. However, the mental health and wellbeing of employees can be hard to assess, which is why the landmark mental health research study facilitated by the Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association (AREEA) is so consequential for the industry.

Mental health problems are harder to recognise, understand and manage than issues relating to physical health and, in conjunction with the stigma associated with help-seeking behaviour, employees are less likely to reach out for help. For these reasons, organisations often struggle to recognise and understand the signs and symptoms.

In 2021, AREEA partnered with Mindshape, a specialist psychology research firm, to undertake an Australian-first, industry-specific national research program with the results published as the Resources and Energy Workforce and Leaders Mental Health Research.

The study sought to investigate employees’ mental health, wellbeing, service intervention usage and satisfaction, psychological safety, and coping mechanisms with the aim of identifying areas of need, patterns of strength and to help the development of focused interventions.

The research program was made possible by the 1,102 consenting resources and energy employees who participated, from companies from various sub-sectors including mining, energy, contractors and service suppliers.

The research program has three stages, the first of which was the National Industry Survey (NIS) carried out by Mindshape, which provided crucial data for employers about the current mental health state of their workforces.

The findings delivered ongoing bench-marking capability, key performance indicators for industry and enhanced opportunities for knowledge sharing and were used to inform the development of tailored interventions in stages two (which took place in 2022) and three.

Survey participants were asked questions covering a variety of topics, including depression, anxiety and stress, sleep, alcohol use, distress, resilience levels, and coping approaches, with the results then compared to other normative population reports and comparative general population samples taken both pre-pandemic and during COVID-19.

Recognising the signs and symptoms of depression

The depression scale measured symptoms like dysphoria, despair, self-deprecation, lethargy, anhedonia, despair and loss of interest, while the anxiety scale focused on situational anxiety, autonomic arousal, and skeletal muscle reactions.

The results showed higher depression scores for males than females, with those in operations roles also rating higher than those in managerial or team leadership roles. Additionally, participants working mixed day/night shifts also recorded higher depression scores than those exclusively working day shifts.

When it came to anxiety, the proportion of participants with mild anxiety scores was higher than the normative population results, but the proportion of participants who indicated severe or extremely severe anxiety was slightly below that of the comparative general population samples.

The results also showed that participants in FIFO roles reported significantly higher anxiety scores than their non-FIFO role colleagues.

The stress scale asked participants to rate stress symptoms, including difficulty relaxing, agitation, irritability, nervous arousal, and impatience. Similar to the outcome of the anxiety results, the proportion of participants with mild stress scores was higher than the general population samples, while the proportion who selected severe or extremely severe stress scores was lower.

Hazardous alcohol use and dependency symptoms

To collect alcohol use statistics, participants were asked to complete a ten-item self-questionnaire about hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption, with three subscales that assess hazardous alcohol use, dependency symptoms and harmful alcohol use.

10.1 per cent of males and 5.5 per cent of females flagged that alcohol dependence is likely, with more than half of participants disclosing alcohol use two to three times a week, or more.

In relation to alcohol risk level, a higher proportion of male participants scored ‘low’ and a lower proportion scored ‘hazardous’ than the comparative mining sample. In contradiction to this, a lower proportion of female participants scored ‘low’ and a higher proportion indicated a hazardous risk level than the comparative mining sample.

Alcohol use in males was significantly higher than in females, and survey participants in operations roles also reported higher alcohol use than those in professional, administration and support, and executive/manager roles.

Participants working in mixed day/night shifts and FIFO roles also reported significantly higher alcohol use than their day shift and non-FIFO role counterparts.

Issues with sleep and resilience levels

Employees’ sleep issues were measured using a seven-item, self-report questionnaire evaluating insomnia symptoms, with higher scores indicating more sleep issues.

More than 40 per cent of participants reported no sleep issues – on par with non-industry data – with the proportion scoring ‘moderate’ and ‘severe’ lower than the general population. Even so, the proportion of participants reporting ‘moderate to severe’ sleep issues was more than 20 per cent.

Unsurprisingly, participants working mixed day/night shifts had significantly higher sleep issue scores than day shift workers.

The survey method employed to calculate resilience categorised scores into three groups: poor resilience, normal resilience, and high resilience, with male participants indicating significantly higher resilience levels than females, and 19.9 per cent of all survey participants reporting low resilience.

FIFO-role participants displayed notably higher resilience than those in non-FIFO roles, and those working in operations, administration and support roles had much lower resilience scores than supervisor/team leader and executive/ manager roles.

The impact of COVID-19 on person, work and home

Participants were also questioned on a range of other topics, with the results providing invaluable insights into employees’ coping mechanisms, quality of life, decision-making styles, and impact of life events, including COVID-19.

COVID-19 was an extremely difficult time for the industry and this is reflected in the survey responses. Nearly half of all participants (45 per cent) noted negative personal changes from COVID-19. Furthermore, 28 per cent of participants reported negative changes at work and 25 per cent at home.

The response rate for this section was especially high, with fewer than ten per cent of participants opting not to submit a response.

Some of the negative workplace themes indicated by participants included roster changes or FIFO disruptions, more time offshore and away from family, and management and HR team resentment. On the other hand, participants listed working from home and flexi-working as positive workplace changes due to COVID-19.

Among the negative impacts to home and personal life were relationship breakdowns, concern for family’s health overseas, and stress on family and self caused by work relocation. On the contrary, positive personal and home themes included good relationships with family, work-life balance, and realising what is important in life.

Findings and recommendations in relation to gender and operational interest

Where males had higher depression and alcohol use scores and lower social and environmental quality of life scores, female participants noted lower resilience scores and higher scores on avoidant coping styles than their male counterparts.

A critical aspect employers should keep in mind for malefocused programs is the working to remove stigma associated with mental health that is often a barrier to help-seeking behaviour in males. Launching preventative actions to reduce depression and suicide, including the provision of social connectedness facilities supporting targeted awareness and help-seeking behavior was also flagged as crucial for maletargeted programs.

Psychoeducation materials for males, including mental health education to understand and recognise depression symptoms, and alcohol use workshops, should place emphasis on signs that are often greater indicators of depression than withdrawal, such as anger, substance use, irritability, and risk-taking behaviour.

AREEA’s recommendation for female-targeted assistance is for employers to provide psychoeducation material for employees, unpacking coping styles and increasing awareness and promoting positive change.

Such materials should also increase awareness of decisionmaking styles, and explore the influence of mental health and wellbeing on behaviours like positive styles of self and others.

Although material should focus on and be available for all employees, featuring advice for groups identified as adopting more negative decision styles (i.e., females) is especially critical.

Mixed day/night shift workers reported higher levels of depression, sleep issues, alcohol use and avoidant coping styles. AREEA recommends employers employ targeted interventions in the following areas:

♦ Mental health education to identify, understand and control the signs and symptoms of depression

♦ Workshops and education on sleep

♦ Alcohol use workshops and targeted education

♦ Psychoeducation material for employees, focusing on coping styles, increasing awareness and promoting positive change

Similarly, FIFO workers noted higher scores in anxiety, alcohol use and dependent style of decision-making. However, FIFO workers also reported higher resilience than their nonFIFO colleagues.

Providing interventions tailored to FIFO staff and their needs is recommended by AREEA.

Examples of these are interactive education material focusing on promoting positive styles of self and others, including the influence of mental health and wellbeing on behaviour.

Additionally, targeted alcohol use education and workshops for staff in FIFO-roles would be beneficial, AREEA recommends.

When taking into consideration the different positions held by survey participants, several key differences were revealed. Leaders reported less mental health problems, higher resilience and better coping skills than their workforce. This comes in stark contrast to participants in operation positions, who reported higher depression, distress and alcohol use scores, lower quality of life and lower levels of resilience and helpful coping and decision-making skills than other groups.

AREEA recommends employers increase leaders’ knowledge of the mental health issues faced by workers, while simultaneously increasing leaders’ empathy for workers in distress. A key method of doing so is communicating the results of the survey to employees and employers alike to advocate for more effective communication.

In addition to this, providing mental health education for leaders and supervisors, designed to help them recognise, understand and manage the signs and symptoms of stress in their workforce, and to promote early intervention and helpseeking behaviour is also recommended.

Furthermore, providing interventions specifically tailored to suit staff in operations roles and their needs is also recommended by AREEA. Some examples include:

♦ Webinars or workshops for depression, exploring coping skills, seeking help and how to access treatment

♦ Mental health education teaching staff to recognise, understand and manage the signs and symptoms of depression as well as building effective coping skills

♦ Evidence-based interventions on stress management, regular physical activity, onsight coaching and mentoring

♦ Alcohol use education and workshops

♦ Peer and community programs to encourage and boost employees’ social connectivity

♦ Psychoeducation material to manage fatigue, sleep and work balance

The next step in the process

Utilising the results of the National Industry Survey (NIS) to develop and introduce a range of programs, interventions and psychoeducation materials targeting key problem areas identified in each group is a great move towards addressing mental health problems in the industry.

But offering these programs is only the first step to helping employees; improving employee awareness and the accessibility of these programs is crucial.

The NIS explored employees’ use of corporate mental health and wellbeing services and resulting satisfaction, collecting data on service intervention uptake, preferred modes for interventions and barriers to utilising Employee Assistant Programs (EAP).

93 per cent of respondents were offered EAP services and 64 per cent were offered industry counselling, 23 per cent of participants accessing employer-provided support in the 12 months prior to the National Survey.

Mindshape found that survey participants prefer to receive services that were (in order of preference) in person, by phone or video conference, contrasting the way services were provided: by phone call, email or in person.

73.3 per cent of respondents indicated their preference to receive services in person despite this method ranking third in how they were provided. 45 per cent of participants reported receiving EAP services via email even though less than 17 per cent of participants indicated email as their preferred method of EAP service provider.

Survey participants were also asked to judge various delivery of services methods, scoring them as not helpful, somewhat helpful or very helpful. Using this rating scale, the highest rated services were EAPs, presentations and workshops – receiving 29 per cent, 24 per cent, and 19 per cent of ‘very helpful’ votes, respectively.

On the other hand, the services that rated lowest were mental health phone lines, online applications, and online programs, with 51 per cent, 46 per cent, and 33 per cent (respectively) of participants classifying them as ‘not helpful’.

A key recommendation of AREEA is to tailor psychoeducation material to suit employee preferences in an attempt to increase uptake of material and the potential for greater help seeking behaviour.

Other recommendations include addressing barriers to EAP uptake at an organisational level – such as the poor quality of the service and the perceived lack of confidentiality, trust and privacy – and the development of long-term strategies to reduce the stigma associated with EAP programs.

Phase 2 of the NIS was scheduled to take place in 2022 and it is expected that the new results will provide further insight and recommendations for the Australian energy and resources industry on how employers can better support the mental health, wellbeing and psychological safety of employees.

TAPPING INTO WA’S LOCAL LABOU R R ESOU R CES

By Rebecca Todesco, Assistant Editor, Mining Magazine

Skills shortages are an unwelcome yet often anticipated symptom of a growing and dynamic economy, with economic growth usually expected to create at least temporary skills shortages, as adjustment to demand is not instantaneous. Western Australia is no exception to this, and the latest report by Curtin University’s Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC) offers a fresh perspective on the issue and the ways the state can work towards filling workforce vacancies.

Tight labour markets, historically low unemployment rates, and years of economic growth have resulted in labour and skills shortages in Australia. These shortages have been felt most acutely in Western Australia, with the state having been at the forefront of the country's economic growth over the last few decades.

Unfortunately, significant growth such as that demonstrated by Western Australia often gives rise to job vacancies and skills and labour shortages.

These shortages have contributed to the state’s economic volatility and have had an impact on sectors ranging from agriculture and major resource and construction projects, to the childcare and aged care sectors, extending throughout regional and remote Western Australia.

A different kind of report

BCEC’s Population, skills and labour market adjustment in WA report was released in September 2022 and is the 16th report in BCEC’s Focus on Western Australia Report Series.

This is not the first time a report on skill shortages has been published and it certainly won't be the last. However, the BCEC’s latest report attempts to differentiate itself by offering a conceptual reconsideration of skills shortages and presents new evidence in the hopes of promoting improved longer-term policy settings instead of offering short-term solutions as other reports do.

In the report, the BCEC explores why Western Australia is more prone to labour and skill shortages than other locations

around the country, as well as highlighting ways that taking advantage of the state’s untapped domestic workforce instead of relying on immigration might be the solution.

Additionally, the BCEC unpacks what a labour and skills shortage actually means.

As one would expect, employers prefer to have more skilled workers available to them than less, and would prefer to pay less, rather than more, for the service of these skilled workers. This means that employer reports of difficulties recruiting skilled workers is not enough proof of a shortage.

For this reason, a condition for there being a skills shortage is the existence of a barrier of some sort preventing the optimal allocation of labour. The BCEC report also investigates what these barriers could be.

Western Australia’s workforce

Home to around 2.7 million people, Western Australia is the largest state in the country and encompasses 2.65 million square kilometres – roughly 1km2 of land per person. The state itself is rife with natural resources which are in increasingly high demand by a rapidly growing world economy and global population.

In terms of natural assets, it is estimated that Western Australia is home to some 28 per cent of the world’s crude iron ore reserves, ten per cent of the world’s identified reserves of gold, and possesses substantial shares of both lithium (21 per cent) and zircon (65 per cent).

As well as being a location with significant natural energy production resources like solar and wind energy, Western

Australia also generates services exports, such as tourism and education, and significant agricultural output – including more than one per cent of the world’s total annual wheat harvest.

When this abundance of marketable assets is weighed up with the state possessing a mere 0.034 per cent of the world’s population, it’s easy to see why workers are in such high demand in Western Australia.

Factors contributing to Western Australia’s skills shortage susceptibility

The BCEC report identified three unique characteristics of Western Australia that make the state more prone to labour and skills shortages: the state’s isolation, its resource-based economy, and the resulting volatility.

With Perth taking the crown as the world’s most isolated capital city, Western Australia’s geographical location itself negatively impacts the state’s ability to draw on interstate labour, with many citing the high relocation costs and isolation from family and friends as symptoms of the state’s remoteness.

The common borders and proximity of the eastern seaboard states, as well as South Australia and Victoria, allow for crossborder commuting and easier interstate migration – something that is not possible for Western Australia.

The BCEC report highlighted that of all the states, only Northern Territory residents displayed a preference for moving to Western Australia, with residents from Victoria and Queensland the least likely to make the move.

The state’s resources-based economy – particularly the strong mining and agricultural sectors – mean that many of the state’s available jobs are directly associated with the land and the location of natural resources, often meaning areas outside of major cities.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimates for the June 2022 quarter showed that the mining and agriculture, forestry,

fishing and hunting industries’ claim of more than 12.2 per cent of total employment was almost four times the proportion for the rest of the country.

The BCEC’s report explored place of enumeration data from the 2016 ABS Census which showed 8.5 per cent of Western Australia’s workers were in locations that could be classified as remote or very remote. This figure was only exceeded by workers in the Northern Territory, and were compared with the next highest state – 3.8 per cent for South Australia – and just one per cent in aggregate for the large three eastern seaboard states.

Adding to this, attracting workers to live remotely or for the fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) lifestyle also presents challenges in filling workforce vacancies.

The volatility of Western Australia can also be accredited to its intrinsically-natured economy, and how it results in more regular shifts in industrial composition. These shifts are due to the boom-bust cycle driven by commodity price swings, the immense scale of many resource developments, and fluctuating labour demand during the various stages of those developments.

Despite these factors, Western Australia still relies heavily on interstate migration to mitigate the effects of the skills and labour shortage.

Migration’s role in addressing skills shortages

It is common, in times of labour shortages, for employers and business groups to call for increases in migration to meet excess demand for workers and skills.

In recent decades, Western Australia and Queensland have been the two fastest growing states in the country. But where Queensland’s population has been assisted by a significant net interstate and overseas migration, Western Australia has placed

excessive dependence on overseas migration to inject economic and population growth.

In terms of interstate migration, both New South Wales and South Australia have experienced net outflows. Western Australia’s interstate migration has instead fluctuated between periods of net inflows and outflows, with a sustained period of net outflows from around 2013-15 up until the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overall, interstate migration made a small net positive contribution to Western Australia’s total population over the last four decades.

According to the report, instead of interstate migration, Western Australia’s main source of population growth has been international migration. Since 1980-81, international migration has contributed to growth of just under one per cent of Western Australia's population annually, hitting a peak of more than two per cent in 2008-09 and 2011-12.

When it comes to attracting overseas skilled workers, Western Australia is in competition with the other states and territories, with the State Government maintaining a Skilled Migration Occupation List (WASMOL) to prioritise workers interested in migrating to Western Australia, with a similar Skills Priority List also maintained by the National Skills Commission.

However, heavy reliance on immigration to boost the state’s skilled workforce exposes other factors that need to be taken into consideration, including the cost and availability of housing.

The report explains that when a state’s labour market is strong, housing prices tend to rise, and a high unemployment rate will result in lower housing costs. This means that for the unemployed, the incentives to move to a state or territory with a lower unemployment rate are largely nullified by the disincentives created by higher relative housing costs in those areas.

With Western Australia’s tight rental market and scarcity of affordable housing likely to hinder migration flows to the state to combat skills shortages, the BCEC report highlighted the need for the State Government to weigh the reliance on immigration against alternatives like investing in the untapped skills of the domestic labour force.

The underutilisation of domestic talent

Where previous reports have encouraged migration as a way of mitigating a labour and skills shortage, the BCEC report encourages a look within, where there remain substantial pools of untapped sources of labour and skills.

Studies and surveys carried out throughout 2022 indicate that there is a wealth of untapped skills in the domestic labour market in Western Australia, including detailed quarterly estimates from the ABS Labour Force Survey that indicated that there were 627,000 people aged 15 and over in Western Australia who were not participating in the labour force in May of 2022.

The BCEC report introduces the idea that the current pool of unemployed in Western Australia represents only a proportion of the potential labour supply, with many more people outside of the labour force who may be willing to supply labour to some degree under the right conditions.

The BCEC report, using the national data figures from May 2022, strove to determine the number of persons in Western Australia by age and qualification who were not participating in the labour market for that same month.

The estimates show there were around 132,000 potential skilled workers in Western Australia – those with a Certificate III or IV level qualification or higher – who were of working age (15-64 years) but not participating in the labour force in May of 2022. Of these Western Australians, almost half (57,900) held a university degree or higher qualification.

Based on the typical responses from those non-participants by age, the BCEC report estimates there were around 64,000 Western Australians aged 25-54 outside the labour force who would have potentially liked a job, and a further 11,000 aged 55-64. Over half of these individuals are considered ‘skilled’, including around one quarter who hold a university degree.

Barriers to employment

Among the untapped sources of skills and labour are the disproportionate numbers of women, older people and those with a disability who are not participating in the labour market.

The BCEC report takes an indepth look at potential factors contributing to women's lower participation in the labour market when compared to men, finding that the majority of non-participants in the labour market below the age of 50 are, in fact, women.

The report explored two main factors that may be hindering women’s participation in the workforce. Firstly, family responsibilities and a lack of affordable childcare pose significant constraints on female participation, while men’s participation is largely unaffected by those same factors.

Additionally, gender norms on attitudes towards women’s work present an additional challenge for female labour force participation, with the BCEC report stating that addressing the gender stereotypes formed from an early age are the first step to closing the gender gap in labour force participation.

Recent estimates (Jackson, 2022) suggest that engaging Australian women in paid work at the same rate as men could lead to an additional one million full-time skilled workers in Australia.

Addressing skills shortages across the country

Despite feeling the effects more acutely, Western Australia is not alone in facing skills shortages and ways to mitigate the effects are in place around the country.

As such, boosting women’s participation in the workforce and increasing the skilled migration cap were highlighted as key actions to address the skills shortages in the leadup to the National Jobs and Skills Summit in September 2022.

Additionally, the Federal Government has allocated more than $400 million over the next four years to establish Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs) in efforts to help address skills shortages and broader workforce challenges.

The new JSCs will have a strong connection to Jobs and Skills Australia, aligning with the Australian Government’s vision for new industry engagement arrangements and will bring all parties to the table to find solutions to the workforce challenges and skills needs currently facing industry sectors across Australia.

When a location experiences significant growth, oftentimes that growth comes hand in hand with skills shortages, and Western Australia is no exception to this. The BCEC’s Focus on Western Australia Report Series has taken an indepth look into the state’s labour and skills shortages and the 16th report in the series has offered a fresh perspective on how the state can unlock the domestic workforce and decrease dependency on international migration to mitigate the shortages.

SAFETY 4.0: THE FUTURE OF MINE SAFETY

The mining industry has made significant improvements in health and safety over the last decade, reducing the incidence rates of both fatalities and serious injuries. However, modern mining safety is multifaceted and becoming increasingly complex, branching out from the primary focus on the traditional concerns of getting workers home safely to their families and delivering the best possible shareholder returns. Today, modern mine safety has expanded into new areas, and refined what it means for traditional ones. Deloitte has released a report into the four key areas of safety –which it calls Safety 4.0 – that are needed to create a safe, sustainable, inclusive, resilient and successful organisation.

The four key areas of safety presented in Safety 4.0: A new horizon for mining safety link and build on each other to build secure foundations that safeguard mining organisations and their people into the future.

The traditional focus on physical needs to extend into all areas and be combined with psychological safety to ensure the mental health and wellbeing of workers. However, for this to be successful, cultural safety has to be embedded to create a safe environment for all people, regardless of age, gender, sexual preference, race, religion or socio-economic status. Underpinning the entire organisation is cyber safety, which is dependent on every worker sharing in the responsibility.

1. Physical safety

The mining industry has made significant improvements in health and safety over the last decade, reducing the incidence rates of both fatalities and serious injuries. However, according to Safe Work Australia, the mining industry still has one of the highest rates of fatalities of any industry – on average nine per year – which has a huge cost to workers, their families, and the community.

The mining industry also has a high number of serious lost time injuries, including significant, often life-changing injuries with ongoing rehabilitation costs and wider social and psychological impacts on individuals.

Therefore, continuing to put worker’s physical safety at the forefront of operations is paramount. Safety 4.0 highlights the need to broaden the view of what this entails to encompass the redesign of all physical environments workers are in including operational areas, accommodation, transportation and offices.

Initiatives are occurring within the industry to help reduce fatalities and serious injuries, and some of them could have an impact, such as new WHS legislation in Western Australia. The WA Work Health and Safety Act 2020 and the WA Work Health and Safety Regulations

(Mining and General) 2022, are the first legislation changes to occur in the state in almost 30 years and could impact the sector in the following ways: key terms and definitions, industrial manslaughter, enforceable undertakings, and health including psychological health.

2. Psychological safety

Psychological safety is a key area of improvement that has garnered a lot of media spotlight recently, due to the reporting of various high-profile cases, industry reviews and investigations, as well as state and industry association announcements regarding work being done to improve mental health outcomes in the sector. To achieve psychological safety, a shift in mindset is needed in many workplaces to create a space where people can bring diversity of thought, innovation and new ideas to the table, and feel that these are valued and explored, and that they are safe from intimidation, bullying, harassment or isolation.

In particular, recent parliamentary reports and inquiries have highlighted that companies need to reflect on what they’re doing to provide a psychological safe work environment for women. This includes making victims and bystanders of sexual harassment feel safe to speak up and report inappropriate behaviour.

Providing an inclusive and psychologically safe environment is an area that mining companies will need to address to ensure they meet legislative and moral obligations, retain workers and attract the diversity of talent required for the future. Societal expectations for transparency and accountability have changed, so companies need to act quickly to address incidents and take corrective actions in the best interest of the injured worker.

3. Cultural safety

Cultural safety is the creation of an environment where everyone can be proud of who they are regardless of culture, ethnicity, age, sexuality and gender, and feel like they are safe, respected, supported, heard and celebrated. For mining companies, cultural safety extends beyond just their

workers to also include the communities they operate in, as well as valuing and protecting the culture of the lands on which they operate.

However, many workplaces aren’t adequately addressing cultural safety. Reporting of poor cultural safety is crucial for management as it provides an earlywarning system for serious HR incidents, such as bullying, assaults and psychosocial injuries. Ignorance is not accepted as an excuse, and workers, communities and stakeholders are increasingly holding organisations to high standards.

There are a number of benefits for an organisation that has great cultural safety, including increasing diversity and innovation of thought, greater resilience, and decreased injury.

4. Cyber security

With the increasing use of technology in mine operations and companies, the risk of cyber security threats is also rising. Workers, customers and suppliers place trust in mining companies to keep their information confidential, which means planning and threat analysis is fundamental to reduce the risk of damage to assets, reputation and future. What companies need to be aware of is that the damage from cyber attacks is not always about monetary costs.

Cyber attacks are increasing in Australia, and overseas, and federal laws now require companies to act. The Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act requires any system of national significance (SONS) to have a risk management plan which mitigates personnel hazards, physical and natural hazards, cyber security hazards, and supply chain hazards.

Safety is becoming an ever increasing focus for mining companies as societal expectations rise for greater transparency, responsibility and accountability. Delottie’s Safety 4.0 report gives mining leaders strategies and a pathway forward, showing the opportunities to improve the key areas of safety to create a more sustainable, resilient and prosperous future.

To read Safety 4.0: A new horizon for mining safety, visit https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/energy-and-resources/articles/safety-4-0-new-horizon-mining-safety.html.

COMMODITY MARKETS VS E Q UITY MARKETS OR CHINA VS THE US FED

By John Forwood, CIO at Lowell Resources Funds Management

Resources market drivers

The resources equities market is a function of two factors:

a. The outlook for the underlying commodities

b. Equity markets

The former is in large part driven by Chinese demand, while the latter is dominated by the US equity market, which is in turn beholden to the Federal Reserve. When these two key factors are working in sync, the resources equities market booms.

The forecasts for many commodities are currently unusually bullish, both in the short term, due to China ‘reopening’, and in the long term due to numerous factors but primarily underinvestment and electrification/decarbonisation. Commodities also respond to lower US interest rates, as they are priced in US dollars, and “de-dollarisation” boosts nominal prices.

However, the outlook for US equity markets is more clouded. It seems that the “bad news is good news” theme is an overriding factor i.e. if the US economy is decelerating, the market believes that the Fed will slow or reverse its interest rate hikes, and that will be good for Wall Street.

The new classes of investors

In terms of new investors in the upstream resources sector, car companies are one of the most remarkable. Many would have never thought they’d see Maserati investing in a developmentstage mining company, but in 2022 Stellantis (owner of the Fiat, Chrysler, Peugeot, Maserati, and Jeep brands) invested AU$76 million in Vulcan Energy, which plans to produce lithium brines in the Rhine valley. Similarly in early 2023, General Motors announced a US$650 million investment in Lithium Americas Corp to help it develop Nevada's Thacker Pass lithium mining project, which holds enough of the battery metal to build one million electric vehicles annually.

Many fossil fuel companies, and coal companies in particular, appear to be avoiding investing in their own businesses. This is in equal parts driven by shareholder antipathy as much as government restrictions. Instead, they are diversifying into new sectors. Major producers such as Yancoal and Teck have both stated publicly that they are looking to invest the windfall profits from current sky-high coal prices into other areas, such as renewable energy. Of perhaps higher priority for these companies are efforts to find opportunities to deploy capital into copper projects, which is the metal universally regarded as among those which will be in the greatest demand due to decarbonisation and electrification.

In a similar vein, oil and gas companies have looked to deploy capital into battery minerals projects. An example is Australian oil producer Buru Energy

entering into a base metal exploration joint venture with longtime metals explorer Sipa Resources.

Then there are western governments. After years of neglect and often active stymieing of mining projects in their own countries, governments in the US and Europe in particular have compiled lists of “critical minerals” and are now providing funding to help “reshore” their primary production. For example, President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has promised funding to seven mineral projects such as the $114 million grant towards project construction and execution costs for as Talon Metals’ nickel and copper processing facility in North Dakota. Similarly in Europe, the EU€17.5 billion “Just Transition Fund” has classified the Cinovec lithium mining project in the Czech Republic as a “strategic project”. And in Australia the former Morrison Government approved a AU$1.25 billion loan through the Critical Minerals Facility to Iluka Resources, to develop Australia's first integrated rare earths refinery in Western Australia.

In the gold sector, central banks have re-emerged as one of the largest investor groups. In 2022, central banks bought the most gold since 1967, according to the World Gold Council. China's central bank has been a large buyer, notable not only for the volumes purchased but also for the fact that it has disclosed its actions. This may form a part of a “de-dollarisation” trend.

Who’s not investing?

North American investors appear to be shunning the resources sector. The world’s largest market for resources stocks Canada (including the TSX, TSXV and CSE) has seen the junior resources sector there largely deserted. Figure 1 from Crescat Capital demonstrates that trade has all but dried up on the TSXV, home to over 2,000 listed resource companies. By contrast, on the ASX there have been over 150 resource company listings in the past two years.

As a result of rapidly evolving dynamics in resources and broader markets, we are seeing a changing of the guard of investors in commodities and resource equities. New investor classes have emerged or re-emerged, while some traditional sources of finance have dried up or been redirected.

A recent Bank of America Fund Manager Survey indicated in December 2022 that professional investors were most underweight commodities relative to bonds since April 2009. Probably the most important sector which has reduced its investment in resources is the resource companies themselves. Despite record free cashflows, capital investment by commodity producers is at more than 20 year lows in real terms (see Figure 2 from the Australian Reserve Bank re Australian resources investment). Producers, perhaps in response to investor dissatisfaction with their profligate capital investing in the 2000s, have instead been paying special dividends and conducting share buy-backs. This severe underinvestment is the major factor which is expected to drive widespread forecast commodity shortages in everything from natural gas to nickel and copper.

50-Day Average Daily Value Traded in CAD Millions

Where are they investing?

In a gross sense, over the past decade, capital has been directed into technology stocks (such as Google and Tesla) and away from commodities. In 2021, the top ten US market cap tech stocks collectively reached a ratio of 56 per cent enterprise value to US GDP, 87 per cent higher than the ratio was at the peak of the 2000 “Tech Bubble”. While this investor focus has shifted since the start of the US Fed rate hiking cycle, there remains historically high valuations in the tech sector, especially in relation to the (now high-yielding) resources market.

As indicated above, in the resources sector, capital has been redirected from fossil fuels into battery minerals. As shown in Figure 3 from Austex, gold and iron ore lost out to rare earths, lithium, uranium and copper as to which commodities ASXlisted resources companies were focused on. Attention on fossil fuels remains largely unchanged, perhaps reflecting a balance between record profits and investor aversion.

The resources market remains undervalued on a number of metrics and relativities, despite record profitability from the large players. Nevertheless, different investor classes have begun to emerge to take advantage of strong structural outlook for many commodities due to long-term underinvestment. We wait for North American appetite to re-ignite the resource equities market, which can be a strong and violent driver.

CHANGES IN COMMODITY FOCUS OVER 2022 >+/- 1 Company

THE NEW MINING SUPER - CYCLE: WHAT DOES THE EVIDENCE SAY?

By Rebecca Todesco, Assistant Editor, Mining Magazine

The past few years have seen a sharp increase in investment in mining and energy production projects as countries across the world scramble to meet emission reduction targets, with lithium emerging as a key standout among ‘green’ commodities receiving capital. Despite this, recent research by the Commonwealth Bank Australia (CBA) has put to rest the rumours prematurely labelling this as evidence of an imminent mining boom.

The year leading to October 2022 saw the value of committed mining and energy projects in Australia spike 54 per cent to AU$83 billion, leading many to claim the country is on the brink of a new mining super-cycle.

The reasoning behind these claims can be attributed largely to the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable alternatives.

Even though there is undoubtedly a shift to greener investments, Commonwealth Bank’s lead mining and energy commodities strategist, Vivek Dhar, said that claims Australia is on the verge of another mining boom are “premature”.

“The evidence does not yet point to the start of a ‘green’ mining super-cycle whereby significant investment is taking place in the commodities needed in the energy transition,” Mr Dhar said.

Forecasts to 2030 predict that demand for the commodities needed to meet decarbonisation goals – such as nickel, copper, lithium, cobalt and graphite –will soar. A common characteristic shared by these commodities is that they’re all linked to efforts to restrict the increase of global temperatures to 1.5°C.

Although the increase in the value of committed mining and energy products does show promise, the CBA has dispelled rumours of an impending ‘green mining’ boom, with research showing that despite the growth in green investments, gas and coal projects continue to attract and secure the majority of funding, approximately 64 per cent.

The CBA research also explores opportunities in Australian lithium, both currently and in the future, as well as the possibilities hydrogen presents, and where downstream processes could lead to in Australia.

Key characteristics of previous super-cycles

The CBA findings list and explore three commodity super-cycles that have occurred since 1900:

♦ American industrialisation and urbanisation, lasting between 1903 and 1932

♦ Post-war European and Japanese reconstruction, from 1965 to 1996

♦ Chinese industrialisation and urbanisation, spanning 1996 to 2016

Something these three super-cycles have in common is that they were driven by a demand surge stemming from urbanisation and industrialisation; each of the super-cycles was spurred by demand, and supply tried to match the demand throughout.

Analysis of previous mining commodity super-cycles illuminate some characteristics they share, including that they typically last between 20 and 40 years.

During the most recent super-cycle, Australia experienced a peak in mining and energy investment in 2012, the cause of which the CBA findings attribute to China’s stimulus response to the Global Financial Crisis in 2007–08.

This peak in Australia’s committed project pipelines was triggered by a spike in LNG projects in Australia to service growing gas needs in Asia – particularly Japan, China and South Korea.

This 2012 peak took place towards the end of the last super-cycle, which saw China emerge as an economic and industrial powerhouse.

According to S&P GSCI figures, the price peak in the China-led commodity super-cycle occurred in 2008, with a smaller peak in prices also occurring in 2011, likely due to China’s stimulus following the Global Financial Crisis.

A different kind of super-cycle

Analysis of the figures and investment trends seem to point to the green supercycle deviating from the characteristics of previous cycles.

Where the other cycles were driven by urbanisation and industrialisation, the CBA points to demand in the anticipated green super-cycle being pushed by decarbonisation instead.

The CBA findings also acknowledge that some commodities will not take part in the ‘green’ super-cycle.

While the prices for minerals and materials critical to decarbonising the global economy are expected to lift materially due to additional demand, the demand for fossil fuels is expected to plummet in the same timeframe. However, a downturn in fossil fuel prices caused by a weaker demand for fossil fuels will not be instantaneous and may take years to come into full effect.

Even before the Russia-Ukraine war caused a reduction in fossil fuel exports from Russia, decarbonisation goals by companies and governments alike were driving a reduction in investment in fossil fuel supply.

Shareholder advocacy has also had a role to play in the decline of fossil fuel investment.

The lithium opportunity

Of the committed projects in Australia, Mr Dhar said it is important to highlight lithium, which accounted for around six per cent of the value of committed projects in the year in question.

In spite of this relatively small figure, Mr Dhar said “Australia will have a key role in supplying lithium to the global market in coming years”.

Additionally, Australia accounted for 50 to 55 per cent of global lithium output in 2021.

Lithium is an essential component in batteries for the decarbonisation of the transport and power sectors. Out of the metals needed in the energy transition that are gathering investment dollars, lithium shows the most promise.

Hydrogen potential

“Hydrogen projects account for 40 per cent and 60 per cent of the value of feasible and publicly announced projects respectively,” Mr Dhar said.

Additionally, two hydrogen megaprojects account for more than 50 per cent of the value of hydrogen projects at these stages.

Despite the uptick in hydrogen projects over recent years – including the Lake Lynell pumped hydro project and the Central West Pumped Hydro Project – government support is still needed to boost the supply and demand of hydrogen in Australia. As a result of this, excluding hydrogen, the outlook for project investment in coming years is somewhat gloomy.

“If Australia is going to recreate the mining boom from the China-led supercycle sometime this decade, it will need to become a major hydrogen exporter,” Mr Dhar said.

Of the Australian mining and energy projects that reached the committed stage in 2022, coal, iron ore and gas accounted for 77 per cent of committed investment. The prevalence of these

more traditional commodities – and in particular coal and gas – further banishes rumours of a green mining boom as these are not the commodities one would expect to lead in a ‘green’ super-cycle.

Additionally, with a number of financial institutions and economies limiting financing for fossil fuel projects, capital to build additional coal mine capacity has been in short supply.

Downstream processing growth

Downstream processes continue to be challenged in Australia, with upstream projects commanding most of the project pipelines, regardless of what stage of development the project is at.

Rising energy prices and high labour costs reduce Australia’s chances of becoming a major player in downstream industries with extraction, rather than processing and elaborate manufacturing, being the nation’s upper hand.

Future compliance standards and stringent regulations could present challenges for downstream processing facilities that emit or plan to emit more than 100,000t of CO² annually, with stricter emission intensity levels predicted from 1 July 2023.

Even with these challenges, investment to produce lithium hydroxide shows that there is still scope for downstream industries to evolve in Australia, with major lithium hydroxide projects like Kathleen Valley and Kemerton contributing to this.

Additionally, the energy losses resulting from moving hydrogen – particularly via ship – clear the way for more downstream processing to be located locally.

However, changes in global policy could present a further challenge for Australia’s downstream processing potential, including the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) which incentivises the onshoring of supply chains needed in the energy transition through allocating tax credits.

With Europe also offering incentives to boost onshore processing and pushing for self-reliance, Mr Dhar said Australia needs to implement something similar to grow onshore downstream processing.

“State and federal governments would need to provide support policies in line with or in excess of governments in Europe and the US for Australia to develop significant downstream processing,” Mr Dhar said.

The CBA findings highlight lithium hydroxide and other chemicals needed for the battery sector as the most likely to rapidly multiply, thus the most likely path for Australia’s downstream sector growth.

“The most likely trajectory for Australia is growth in select downstream sectors,” Mr Dhar said.

The findings also indicate that although competing to gain market share further downstream in the energy transition may look too difficult, factors including current government policy settings, and the high costs facing existing downstream facilities could be key drivers

Even with all this predicted growth, the CBA results note that decarbonising existing downstream facilities will likely be a key focal point for Australia’s downstream sectors moving forward.

The last few years have indeed seen a shift towards ‘greener’ investments which has prompted claims that Australia is on the brink of a new mining super-cycle. However, evidence suggests that such claims are too hasty, with coal and oil projects still securing more than half of investment funding.

In embracing key ‘green’ opportunities, such as becoming a major lithium and hydrogen producer for international and domestic markets, and building onshore downstream processes, Australia can continue on its energy transition path towards its net zero goals.

MAXIMISING MINING SLURRY PUMP EFFICIENCY

By Michelle Goldsmith, Contributing Editor, Mining Magazine

In mining and ore processing operations, slurry pumps provide a vital means of effectively transporting slurry over any distance. Their running costs also contribute a significant component of total operating costs, and any failure of this key piece of equipment can bring a mining project grinding to a halt. Therefore, improvements in the sustained efficiency and reliability of slurry pumps can result in substantial bottom-line benefits to mining operators.

Despite their importance, the highly demanding nature of the application and the complex set of factors affecting slurry pump performance in mining operations mean that it is still relatively common to find pumps being operated inefficiently, or in ways that reduce equipment lifespan, resulting in lower overall efficiency and higher costs for the project. Maximising slurry pump efficiency requires the correct specification and selection of pumps, and ensuring that they are optimally operated to deliver sustained efficiency and reliability over the longer term.

Handling slurry: a demanding application

Slurry pumps are required to transport large volumes of slurry, composed of target minerals and overburden suspended in a carrier fluid, to mineral extraction process plants for separation. Therefore, they must be able to handle the abrasive solids in the slurry and, in some cases, corrosive fluids.

Due to the nature of the material being pumped and the distances involved, slurry pumps are usually large and consume significant amounts of power. This is an extremely demanding application, and slurry pumps often operate 24/7, meaning that in severe conditions the wear life of wetted components can be only two to three months. Any failure or inefficiency in slurry pumping can have significant repercussions for the entire plant and project, impacting the overall profitability of mining operations.

Optimising the efficiency of slurry pumps over their entire service life requires:

♦ Specifying and selecting the right pump and other equipment for the application

♦ Ensuring the pump is operating at its best efficiency point

(BEP) flow rate

♦ Regular monitoring and maintenance to prevent unplanned outages and declining performance

Choosing the right pump

To deliver maximum slurry pumping efficiency, the performance characteristics of the pump or pumps employed must be well matched to the unique requirements of the particular application on a project. If wrongly specified, even a pump that appears to be operating with a high efficiency can quickly become worn down and damaged. This can result in failure or other problems, like higher power consumption and shorter pipeline equipment life, that will negate the initial efficiency and, ultimately, incur higher costs over time.

The majority of slurry pump issues are caused by a mismatch between the pump’s performance characteristics and the application requirements, either from the initial specification or due to circumstances changing since that specification.

Two main types of pumps are regularly used for transporting slurries: centrifugal pumps and positive displacement pumps. Centrifugal pumps are usually employed for flow rates from a few litres to thousands of litres per second, and can handle solid particle sizes from microscopic to large rocks up to 300mm. However, they generally can’t develop pressures higher than 7MPa even when they are arranged in series. Their casings can be unlined or lined with internal replaceable liners, composed of materials appropriate to the features of the slurry. The wearing parts are mostly impellers, volutes and side liners.

Positive displacement pumps are often employed for pumping through very long pipelines, because of their ability to generate high pressures, which are well in excess of multistage centrifugal pumps. Their design flow rate range is limited from 50 to 1000 litres per second, due mainly to their large physical sizes, both at low and high flows. They are best suited to

transporting slurries with high concentrations of fine particles with a maximum size of about 6mm. The maximum particle size is dictated by the poppet valves, which can jam in semiopen position by large particles. Poppet valves are high wear components that need to be replaced frequently.

An array of different factors come into play when it comes to choosing the best pump for the job. These include the pump’s best efficiency point (BEP), the characteristics of the slurry to be pumped, the distance the slurry must travel, and more.

Some of the most important parameters of slurries to consider when selecting a pump include:

♦ The particle size, shape (angular, round, long and stringy) and hardness

♦ Corrosiveness

♦ Chemical compatibility with elastomers

♦ Solids concentration

♦ Likelihood of running dry

Hydraulic considerations and BEP match

A number of factors should be taken into account in order to select a centrifugal pump that matches the system and application’s hydraulic requirements. These include the system’s design, the required flow rate, the system resistance, and system curve.

System design – Oversizing or undersizing the pump for the application can result in the pump operating outside the range of its BEP or its allowable operating range. This can cause problems such as circulation issues, vibration, cavitation and loud operation.

Flow rate – The flow rate achieved in a pumping system is the result of the head created by the pump.

System resistance – The system resistance head is the head necessary to overcome the static head and the friction head in the pipeline. The duty point of the pump is the flow at which the head created by the pump is equal to the system resistance head.

Duty point (rated flow at differential head) – The key to successful pump selection is to accurately specify the required duty point.

The pump’s BEP flow rate is the optimum flow rate for the slurry to travel through the system at a particular impeller speed.

Net positive suction head available

Net positive suction head (NPSH) is the total absolute head at the pump suction minus the vapour head of the pumped fluid. To prevent cavitation, and the resulting damage, the system net positive suction head available (NPSHA) must be greater than the pump net positive suction head required (NPSHR), preferably with an appropriate safety margin.

Determining the required flow rate, total dynamic head to be generated by the pump, and the suction lift or NPSHA, enables the selection of a pump with a performance curve that satisfies these requirements.

The performance curves provided by pump manufacturers indicate pump efficiency, power use, and the suction lift or NPSH required for the pump’s flow range. The speed (rpm) and input power (kW) required can then be determined by plotting the required flow, total head and suction lift on the performance curves. However, determining the requirements for slurry pumping applications is complicated by the variable individual characteristics of a slurry. The manufacturers’ performance curves are generally based on the process fluid being clear, cold water. Therefore, pumping a comparatively heavier or lighter fluid will require comparatively more or less power, and this must be taken into account in pump selection.

Other possible features of slurry pumps that could influence final pump selection include:

♦ Levelling (on/off control devices)

♦ Self-priming

♦ Thermal overload protection

♦ Non-clog

♦ Plug-in

♦ Reversible

♦ Dry-running capabilities

♦ Ease of maintenance

In reality, final selection is often a trade-off between high capital and low maintenance costs, or low capital and high maintenance costs. Therefore, the total cost of ownership over the pump’s service life and the duration of mining operations should be taken into account and balanced.

Ensuring efficient long-term slurry pump operation

Once an appropriate pump is selected for a mining slurry application its sustained efficient operation requires that it remain in good condition. Among the key factors that impact upon pump wear is the flow at which the pump is actually operating in relation to its BEP flow rate.

Even a large, robustly built pump running at a slow speed can experience gouging and wear that reduces the lifespan of its components, subsequently reducing efficiency and increasing its lifetime ownership costs.

A pump operating at a high flow rate relative to its BEP often results in increased pipe friction losses, reduced efficiency, increased power, noise and vibration, high radial loads on bearings, and cavitation due to lack of NPSH available.

Meanwhile, when pumps operate at low flow rates relative to BEP, sedimentation and sanding can occur in pipes, causing blockages. Other problems that may occur include recirculation, increased noise and vibration, increased radial loads on bearings due to unbalanced volute pressures, reduced seal, bearing and impeller life, low flow cavitation, and temperature rise due to dissipated energy created by low efficiency.

Ideally, slurry pumps would be operated at 100 per cent of BEP flow, resulting in maximum efficiency and minimum wear. However, in reality this is not always possible. Nevertheless, ensuring pumps run as close as possible to BEP will improve their performance and service life, maximising efficiency and profitability.

In some cases, although a pump may be correctly specified prior to installation, changes in circumstances that result in changes to flow, such as slurry composition, can require it to operate further away from its BEP flow. Over time, even small changes can result in significant losses of efficiency and increases to wear.

As a result, to achieve optimised slurry pumping efficiency, it is important to undertake regular inspection and maintenance, and to evaluate how any changes to conditions that occur may affect the application requirements, duty point and pump BEP.

Optimising slurry pumps to maximise profitability

Slurry pumps are critical to mining and extraction operations, moving the extracted minerals and associated material to and throughout processing facilities. This demanding application can result in significant wear to pumps, which are required to be powerful and robustly built, and often require significant amounts of power. As a result, the pumps themselves and the power to run them contribute significantly to the overall costs of a mining operation, and improving slurry pumping efficiency can significantly increase profitability for operators within the industry. Maximising efficiency involves determining the requirements of a given slurry pumping application and choosing the right pump for the job (with a BEP well matched to the duty flow rates), operating it as close to its BEP as possible to increase efficiency and equipment lifespan, and undertaking smart monitoring and maintenance to sustain this efficiency over the longer term. By following these steps, operators can increase the likelihood that their slurry pumps will be performing efficiently and reliably for a long time to come, maximising return on investment, and keeping mining operations running smoothly and profitably.

FEATURES SCHEDULE & ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

Winter 2023 Deadline: 28 April 2023

MAJOR FEATURES Circular economy Environmental management Big data and IoT

SPECIAL FOCUS Risk mangement

EQUIPMENT & MACHINERY Materials handling

DISTRIBUTION World Mining Congress (TBC)

Summer 2023 Deadline: 27 October 2023

MAJOR FEATURES Asset management Energy efficiency Mine rehabilitation

SPECIAL FOCUS Stakeholder engagement

EQUIPMENT & MACHINERY Instrumentation, control and monitoring DISTRIBUTION TBC

Interested in working with Mining Magazine? Scan to download our media kit.

Spring 2023 Deadline: 21 July 2023

MAJOR FEATURES

Sustainability Industrial automation Future mines

SPECIAL FOCUS Exports and trade

EQUIPMENT & MACHINERY Minerals processing

DISTRIBUTION AIMEX WA Mining Conference and Exhibition IMARC

Autumn 2024 Deadline: TBC

MAJOR FEATURES Smart mining Water and waste management Safety and training

SPECIAL FOCUS Investment EQUIPMENT & MACHINERY Communications Pumps

DISTRIBUTION TBC

THE NUMBER ONE EVENT FOR CAPITAL RAISING AND MINING INVESTMENT

Mines and Money is the leading international event series connecting sophisticated investors from around the world with mining company management teams, both online and in person.

Ask Harry, report it, job done!

Ask

With Ask Harry AI, in less than a minute, you can:

• send hazard reports

• report defects

• request critical information

• call on your own Harry number or two-way radio

One conversation, done.

Built for business voice-based AI technology works in noisy, difficult industrial and corporate environments, hearing and understanding industry jargon to deliver exceptional results, while integrating with your current workflow and technology, removing the need for complicated training or coding.

Our AI voice technology understands industry jargon and works well in noisy environments. It integrates quickly with your current technology and workflow, and there’s no need for complex training or integration.