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CHILE BHP, Caterpillar, and Finning to replace Escondida haul truck fleet
BHP Group Ltd, Caterpillar Inc., and Finning International Inc. have announced an agreement to replace BHP’s entire haul truck fleet at the Escondida mine, the world’s largest copper producer, located in the Antofagasta Region, northern Chile.
This agreement is part of the strategic equipment renewal process developed by Escondida. The new Caterpillar 798 AC electric drive trucks will feature technology that delivers significant improvements in material-moving capacity, efficiency, reliability and safety, and generate a positive impact in key initiatives for the future; such as decarbonisation, diversity and inclusion, autonomous technologies, and the development of local capabilities.
The first trucks are expected to arrive at the mine in 2H23, with delivery of the remaining trucks to extend over the next 10 years as the three companies work to replace one of the largest fleets in the industry worldwide, currently comprised of over 160 haul trucks. Maintenance and support services provided under the agreement advance BHP’s local employment and gender balance strategies. Finning’s Integrated Knowledge Center, located in Antofagasta, will provide top of the line industry technical support for the fleet.
The agreement also allows Escondida | BHP to accelerate the implementation of its autonomy plans by transitioning the fleet to include technology that enables autonomous operation. In addition, the agreements set forth a technological path that helps Escondida | BHP meet its decarbonisation goals, through the progressive implementation of zero-emission trucks.
BHP, Caterpillar, and Finning uphold their commitment of contributing to the economic and social development of Antofagasta, through the generation of local capabilities related to the development of mining equipment technologies.
Epiroc, a leading productivity and sustainability partner for the mining and infrastructure industries, has signed an agreement to acquire AARD Mining Equipment, a South African mining equipment manufacturer.
AARD, based near Johannesburg, South Africa, designs, manufactures, services and supports a wide range of mining equipment, specialising in low-profile underground machines for mines with low mining heights. The high-quality products include drill rigs, bolters, loaders, scalers, and more. The company’s customers are mainly in the Southern Africa region. AARD has approximately 200 employees and had revenues in the fiscal year ending 30 June 30 2022 of approximately SEK 650 million.
GREENLAND ABD Solutions signs MOU with Amaroq Minerals
Leading vehicle automation provider, ABD Solutions, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with AIM and TSX listed Amaroq Minerals Ltd to investigate the potential for the introduction of vehicle autonomy systems for various mining vehicles at the Nalunaq site in Greenland.
The long-term goal of the MOU is to provide a framework for ABD Solutions to deliver the support, software, and hardware solutions needed for the company to operate a diverse range of automation equipment and retrofittable mining vehicles on the Nalunaq site in Greenland. These vehicles would be operated autonomously and supervised from a central control room, therefore, improving safety and streamlining the mining process, both operationally and financially.
ABD Solutions offers a modular technology eco-system to build the various elements required for vehicle automation; including vehicle management, vehicle control actuation, communication, sense and detect, health and diagnostics, and third-party integration. This provides a flexible autonomy solution that can be tailored to a specific vehicle, environment or operational scenario, and then fully integrated into any existing operational and fleet management system.
Vehicle automation can bring significant improvements to safety by removing people from high-risk areas, as well as providing increased operational efficiency, resulting in a reduction in fuel consumption and vehicle emissions. A retrofittable solution also maximises the investment of existing high-value assets by significantly extending their usable life.
WORLD NEWS
Diary Dates
Mining Indonesia 14 – 17 September 2022 Jakarta, Indonesia www.mining-indonesia.com
Discoveries 04 – 06 October 2022 Hermosillo, Mexico www.discoveriesconference.com
China Mining Expo 2022 18 – 21 October 2022 Xi’an, China www.chinaminingexpo.com
International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) 2022 02 – 04 November 2022 Sydney, Australia www.imarcglobal.com
Mines and Money @ IMARC 02 – 04 November 2022 Sydney, Australia www.minesandmoney.com/imarc
Resourcing Tomorrow, brought to you by Mines and Money 29 – 01 December 2022 London, UK www.minesandmoney.com/london
CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023 14 – 18 March 2023 Las Vegas, USA www.conexpoconagg.com/conexpo-conagg-construction-trade-show
China Coal & Mining Expo 2023 25 – 28 October 2023 Beijing, China www.chinaminingcoal.com
To stay informed about upcoming industry events, visit Global Mining Review’s events page: www.globalminingreview.com/events
GUINEA Nordgold launches new power plant at its Lefa Gold Mine
Nordgold Group, an internationally diversified gold producer, has launched a new 33 MW power plant at its Lefa mine – one of the largest gold mines in Guinea.
The US$30 million project was designed and constructed by China’s leading manufacturing service group, SUMEC, a key member of China National Machinery Industry Corp. (SINOMACH).
The new heavy fuel oil (HFO) power plant has replaced the old facility, in turn reducing both fuel consumption for electricity production by 15% and engine oil by 30%. This will result in a 17 000 tpy reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, which is in line with Nordgold’s climate change objectives, as well as its commitments to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world’s largest shipbuilding company and leading manufacture of heavy industry machinery, provided the power plant’s main generating equipment. The power plant will enable a significant reduction in operating costs, in addition to enhancing the stability of the electricity supply for over 15 years of Lefa’s life of mine. Moreover, the installation of the latest fire detection systems will increase employee safety.
During construction, hundreds of additional jobs were created and main essential construction materials including sand, cement and gravel, amongst others, were sourced locally from Guinean suppliers.
AUSTRALIA Australia’s critical minerals to drive the US’ EV battery programme
Australia’s critical minerals will drive the US’ electric vehicle battery programme, following the announcement by the US to grant Australia preferred status.
The Inflation Reduction Act is a major step forward for the Australian government’s manufacturing agenda and will help underpin the demand for high quality Australian battery minerals.
Under the Act, 40% of the value of the critical minerals in the battery must be sourced from a country that has a free-trade agreement with the US, increasing to 80% by 2027.
Driving investment in local processing and manufacturing will also ensure the demand for Australian mined minerals including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper.
Importantly, it will also strengthen the case for investment capital into mining.
Australian mining needs approximately US$20 billion/yr to sustain current production. If it is going to increase the capacity of existing mines, or open new mines – including in the commodities needed for the global transition to net zero emissions – capital investment will need to be increased by an order of magnitude.
The Bank of America estimates that US$150 billion/yr will be needed in global mining to produce the minerals needed to achieve the global transition to net zero.
Australia needs to position itself as a competitive destination for this capital in order to realise its full potential.
World NEWS
CHILE Sandvik secures equipment order from Movitec
Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions has received a large order in Chile for surface mining equipment and its AutoMine® Surface Drilling solution from Movitec, a contractor on Codelco’s Rajo Inca opencast project. The order includes two LeopardTM DI650i down-the-hole (DTH) drill rigs and two Sandvik DR412i rotary blasthole drill rigs, including AutoMine Surface Drilling systems for fully autonomous operations.
AutoMine Surface Drilling is an autonomous solution for a wide range of Sandvik iSeries surface drill rigs, designed to improve safety, reduce costs, and increase productivity. It enables an operator to control multiple rigs remotely from a comfortable location in line-of-sight or a distant control room – improving working conditions and safety.
Sandvik iSeries drill rigs are equipped with iDrill technology, a scaleable automation platform that provides automation options and digital services designed to speed up the production process and support mining operations. Performance and navigation iDrill technologies work together to produce accurately placed, consistently clean, and precision-drilled holes – delivering improved fragmentation, downstream throughput, and asset utilisation.
The new order also includes one Sandvik D75KX rotary blasthole drill rig with added intelligence and improved operator ergonomics. Delivery will take place in two phases before year-end 2022, with fully autonomous operations ramping up in 2023.
In addition, Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions will also provide contractor Movitec with remote operation training and six months’ on-site service to ramp up support as they transition to autonomous operations.
GREENLAND Hudson Resources and Neo Performance Materials sign agreement for Sarfartoq REE Project
Hudson Resources Inc. and Neo Performance Materials Inc. have executed a binding agreement whereby Neo will acquire from Hudson an exploration license covering the Sarfartoq Carbonatite Complex in southwest Greenland. The project hosts a mineral deposit that is enriched in neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr), two essential elements for rare earth permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and high-efficiency electric motors and pumps that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The project is close to tidewater and a major port facility and is directly adjacent to some of the best hydroelectric potential in Greenland.
Neo, through a special purpose entity, plans to explore and develop the Sarfartoq Project to further diversify its global sourcing of rare earth ore, and to expand the rare earth supply chains that feed Neo’s rare earth separation facility in Estonia. That facility was recently awarded a Gold Medal for its sustainable practices by EcoVadis, the well-respected global sustainability auditor.
Neo is also pursuing plans to break ground on a greenfield rare earth permanent magnet manufacturing plant in Estonia that is intended to provide European manufacturers with the permanent magnets needed for electric and hybrid vehicles, wind turbines, and energy-saving electric motors and pumps. The Sarfartoq Project also is a key element of Neo’s ‘Magnets-to-Mine’ vertical integration strategy.
Completion of the sale of the license is subject to various conditions, including approval from the Government of Greenland for the transfer of the license, expected to take approximately six months, and approval of the TSXV on the part of Hudson.
Neo intends to assign its rights under the agreement to an SPE controlled by Neo that would hold the license and continue exploration and ultimately extraction of the rare earth elements on the project.
The license covers the large Sarfartoq carbonatite complex that hosts Hudson’s ST1 REE project and the Nukittooq Niobium-Tantalum project. The REEs on the property have a high ratio of Nd and Pr at 25 – 40% of total rare earth oxides (TREO). Hudson completed a preliminary economic assessment on the ST1 project in November 2011, which outlined a National Instrument 43-101 compliant resource containing 27 million kg Nd oxide and 8 million kg of Pr oxide.
Neo and the SPE expect to conduct additional exploratory drilling and other work to move the project forward to eventual commercial operation. Neo also intends to enter into an offtake agreement with the SPE with rights to purchase 60% of the ore or mineral concentrate produced from the project.
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