Together with the robotics and AI team at Luleå University of Technology and the technology company Algoryx, Epiroc is initiating the ReNAM project to push the development of autonomous mining even further. The project will utilise simulations and apply state-of-the-art research on Epiroc’s underground mining machines “to enable the next level of autonomy and safety.”

The ReNAM project will develop and validate advanced sensor technology and autonomous control technology for mining vehicles. The project has received funding from the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova and will run from 2023 to the end of 2025.

“Through this partnership, we are contributing to a new generation of machines with improved autonomy capabilities. This is an exciting addition to the on-going development of our automation offering, which helps to further improve safety and productivity for our customers” says Åsa Gabrielsson, VP Research & Development at Epiroc’s Underground division.

As a first step, realistic digital twins of mining machines and surroundings will be modelled in a physics-based simulation environment. Once the sensor- and AI-equipped virtual mining machines have been developed to the point where they can solve tasks safely and reliably in the digitally simulated environment, the next step is to transfer the developed control systems to Epiroc’s mining machine and have it perform the same tasks in a real, physical test mine.

“Through realistic simulations and with safety in mind, where the AI can be trained on the whole system, the machine that is, with its environment and real forces, contacts and behaviours, the outcome will be superior to most projects we see in the world. In order to be successful, collaboration between universities, high-tech, and industrial companies is extremely important,” says Urban Wikman, Business Director at Algoryx.

“We are doing so much more than autonomy, essentially, we are accelerating machines to a new level of technology. The overall quality of Swedish mines, efficiency and safety will be unparalleled,” says George Nikolakopoulos, Chair Professor of Robotics and AI, at Luleå University of Technology.

The goal of the project is to develop and validate two use cases that can lay a foundation for future robotics research and contribute to Epiroc’s future development of commercial products with fully developed machine autonomy.

Cobre Ltd has kicked off a collaborative airborne gravity gradient (AGG) survey with neighbour Sandfire Resources, covering a large portion of the Kalahari Copper Belt (KCB), including Cobre’s Ngami Copper Project, Kitlanya West and Kitlanya East (KITE) Projects.

Notably, the results are expected to provide valuable information on KCB basin architecture and the location of sub-basins, margins and controlling structures where copper-silver mineralisation may be targeted.

The survey will complement results from the recently completed 5,000-metre diamond drilling, ongoing soil sampling, and aircore and reverse circulation drill programs, providing valuable additional data for area and target prioritisation at Kitlanya West and Ngami Projects.

Furthermore, AGG results may also help in the detection of copper-silver bearing trap sites analogous to Sandfire’s neighbouring T3 and A4 deposits at KITE, providing new targets for drill testing.

Significant insights

Cobre CEO Adam Wooldridge said: “We are pleased to announce that the AGG survey, in collaboration with Sandfire, is finally underway. These results are expected to provide significant insights into our understanding of the regional controls for copper distribution in the KCB.

“They will also provide a new targeting tool to complement our other datasets. The deliverables from this survey are expected to be highly complementary to the results from our ongoing aircore, reverse circulation drilling and soil sampling programs at KITW as well as providing further context for the distribution of copper-silver grades at NCP.

“Additionally, the results over the KITE project will be particularly interesting given its proximity to the T3 deposit and potential for hosting similar styles of deposit.”

Survey background

Gravity data is routinely used for mapping sedimentary basins where it provides a cost-effective method for modelling the basin architecture, often key to understanding the distribution of sedimentary copper deposits.

This is demonstrated in the historical regional ground gravity data over the north-eastern portion of the KCB where correlations are evident between the margins of gravity lows and known copper-silver deposits.

The higher resolution AGG is expected to build on these correlations, identifying further priority sites for copper-silver deposits as well as providing important structural information and potentially identifying trap-site targets where mineralisation may be economically upgraded.

Ivanhoe Mines, a diversified miner with a 26-year history in the African mining sector, is aiming to enhance the sustainability goals of the group and its flagship Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The company plans to utilize hydropower potential and abundant sunshine to decarbonize the mining industry, while also exploring various options to increase alternative power solutions. Ivanhoe has obtained approval for environmental and social impact assessment amendments for Kamoa-Kakula’s Phase 3, while it awaits the same for its Platreef project in South Africa. The latter is expecting to receive power from a 5 MVA solar power plant before year-end, and evaluating other power options.

The company has also completed a greenhouse gas alternatives analysis for Kamoa-Kakula and implemented GHG emissions programs to reduce emissions. Additionally, the company has established a biodiversity project nursery and an apiary as sanctuaries for pollinators, promoting natural habitation and plant diversity.

To meet local procurement obligations, Ivanhoe has implemented targeted enterprise and supplier development programs, which have supported seven informal enterprises and 41 formal enterprises. Additionally, eight opportunities have been exclusively earmarked for local community suppliers.

The company is also building the Kamoa Centre of Excellence to create a sustainable and community-focused higher learning environment.

The community development initiatives of Ivanhoe have provided communities with valuable infrastructure, as well as supported local businesses and established value chains in the areas around the mining complexes. These initiatives also include investments in sustainable agriculture and farming, early childhood education, and gender equality.

Many industrial facilities, mines and power stations rely too much on dust suppression and extraction systems, when the real answer is to improve the flow of material through well designed chutes.

This is the considered opinion of Weba Chute Systems technical director Alwin Nienaber, based on decades of experience in this field. His view is that 50% to 80% of the dust problem around conveyors and transfer points can be resolved by applying the right chute system design and positioning equipment correctly.

“Many of the dust suppression and dust extraction systems that are applied in these applications are expected to do more than they are capable of,” says Nienaber. “A preferable approach is to get the chute design right first, and then apply these other systems to deal with the residual dust load.”

He explains that the advantages of doing this extend well beyond the health and safety benefits. He has seen more than a few situations where the dust created by a poorly designed chute can prevent personnel from moving or working in that area. This often prevents the checking or maintenance of critical equipment during operating hours, requiring more downtime to wait – literally – for the dust to settle.

“In examples like this, excessive dust can reduce an operation’s efficiency, so there is an opportunity to improve overall productivity by fixing the dust problem,” he says. “Other equipment in these areas also gets heavily coated with dust, and needs regular cleaning to ensure optimal performance. Cleaning becomes yet another avoidable cost.”

To address excessive dust creation, a good chute design is based on understanding the physics of material flow – and avoiding uncontrolled velocity and impact. A lack of control over the way material flows will degrade the material and create higher levels of aeration – which is what leads to dust dispersal.

“Our philosophy at Weba Chute Systems is to ensure that material flows more easily and remains consolidated as a homogenous stream,” he explains. “We base our designs on the ‘supertube’ effect, which also allows the controlled transfer of material onto the conveyor belt. Not only does this reduce dust, but it also cuts down on the wear rate of the belt itself.”