President of ABB Process Industries Joachim Braun is visiting Australia to present at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC). Joining the keynote panel discussion “Unlocking the Power of Technology and Innovation: Transforming Mining for a Net Zero Future,” Joachim shared his insights into the ways cutting-edge automation, electrification, and digital solutions are enabling sustainable, safe, and efficient mining operations.
In this edited discussion, we catch up with Joachim and find out what innovations and ideas he is most excited by when it comes to the future of the mining sector.
Do you see an enthusiasm for the energy transition in the mining industry?
The mining sector is absolutely vital to a sustainable future. To reach net-zero emissions, the world needs more mineral resources, and we can make the biggest impact with those resources if we extract them sustainably. That means making mining less intensive through such actions as electrification, automation and optimisation of mines.
The good news is that the mining sector, particularly here in Australia, is on board. New research ABB is releasing based on a survey of more than 400 mining executives from around the world shows that 73% of the companies involved describe themselves as “excited” about the opportunities presented by the increased recognition of mining’s role in supplying resources for green technologies. In Australia, that number is even higher — 82%.
It is really encouraging to see that there's very much a shared agenda when it comes to environmental, social and governance targets. It's widely recognised that electrification is the key to decarbonising the mining industry, and that is what ABB has been promoting.
How ambitious should the mining sector be when it comes to decarbonisation?
I think the mining sector is ready to live up to its commitments and it's ready to deploy the necessary technological solutions. The industry is greeting decarbonisation as a great opportunity to get more productive and more efficient, and also to deliver on some really important environmental, social and governance roles.
We should not limit our thinking to electrifying this component or that component of an individual mine but pursue the possibilities of mines that have been electrified entirely. A study ABB conducted with IGO Limited and Perenti, looking at Western Australia’s Cosmos Nickel Project, showed that it is feasible to operate a mine using an all-electric underground fleet. We would like to see that feasibility become a reality.
What are the biggest challenges facing the Australian mining industry when it comes to meeting decarbonisation goals for 2050?
The number one concern — which we need to address as a provider of not only electrification, but also automation and digitalisation — is making sure that we render our customers as productive and competitive now as they were in the old ways of operating. We need to give them the confidence that, yes, they can choose this new way of operating their mine without falling behind in productivity and competitiveness.
While mining companies are enthusiastic about decarbonisation, they also understand that they need to continue to run profitable businesses. The mining industry has traditionally been conservative when it comes to embracing new technologies, and many companies are hesitant to be the first mover when it comes to trialling some of the electrification, automation and digitisation processes that will transform the sector’s sustainability. Adopting these advanced technologies often requires investment of substantial capital upfront, with returns only becoming apparent later down the track.
The mining sector is also facing the challenge of skills shortages, particularly among younger generations, and we must also ensure that we have the infrastructure needed to support new technology — such as grids with the capacity to support electrification or networks that can handle the high-speed data transmission that allows for automation.
Where do you think ABB can have the biggest impact?
We bring to the table a unique skillset: we have sufficient domain know-how to understand the challenges of the mining industry, but at the same time we are experts in electrification, automation, and digitalisation; that's a pretty scarce combined skill set to have. For all of the complexity that electrification brings, we have already the tools to remedy that and even bring it to new heights.
Our long history in the process industries has given us the expertise to help the sector manage the transition to net zero. Our expertise in energy solutions means we understand how to ensure that the transformations being undertaken maintain technical as well as economic feasibility. We work with original equipment manufacturers, technology innovators and other supply chain partners to bring equipment, systems and people together to make mining operations more sustainable, safe and efficient to the benefit of the environment and future generations.
What technologies do you believe are doing the most towards driving decarbonisation?
I am seeing great potential in the ways machine learning and artificial intelligence can combine with automation to create much more integrated systems across entire sites. This will allow for improved exploration and efficiency and help overcome skills gaps.
And I think artificial intelligence can play a great role in addressing power generation patterns by using perpetual learning to determine availability and the factors it depends upon.
What does that mean for a mine’s operation? You might permanently move certain tasks to daylight operations if your renewable power source is solar. And previously you might have operated those tasks at night because of the noise, so you then have to engage with communities and explain these things. Technology can help you to really be a little bit ahead of the curve rather than just experiencing it the hard way.
What challenges are involved in implementing these technologies?
It's a mistake to think that sustainable mining is exactly the same as mining today — except using sustainable means. Electrification creates additional constraints: you might not be able to move your trucks as freely as you could before, for instance. There are loading cycles that would not have taken so long.
That means all these additional constraints need to be dealt with, and that's where automation comes in. Having a better understanding of your operational plans helps you to say, “Okay, we need another 20 minutes on this truck, but then it's okay to charge it,” for example.
Or if you have to deal with renewable power sources, you might have different generation patterns. Diesel gen-sets run 24-7, but if you have solar power or wind power, you might have to take weather forecasts into concern so that you know when you can expect peak production and you have to deal with lesser production. Then if you have energy-intensive tasks, you might want to either postpone them or pull them forward.
All of this needs a very holistic view of looking at the different aspects, which is not how you would operate a mine today.
Are there insights from other parts of the world that Australia should be looking at adopting locally?
We can generally benefit from cross-fertilising ideas between different mining countries, but Australia is already a very developed mining community, and a lot of things have been pioneered in this market and then brought to others.
Our Australian customers are blessed with fairly favourable conditions compared to elsewhere in the world. Customers who have exposure to challenging conditions, such as poor environmental conditions, high altitudes, unpleasant climates or low ore grades, are often more willing to adopt new technologies because they're more desperate to find ways of staying in business. Miners who are at the edge of competitiveness are more willing to try new things, and that is not so much the case in Australia.
What will it take to accelerate the adoption of sustainable technologies?
Partnership is going to be absolutely necessary to seeing the sector as a whole hit its 2050 targets. The challenges ahead of us are so great that there isn't a single player who could tackle them all.
Everyone has blind spots. A mine operator wouldn't know much about electrical engineering; an electrical engineer wouldn't know much about mining operation. And then there are so many other players: engineering procurement construction, original equipment manufacturers, policy makers. Whomever you talk with, you always find that there is a lack of awareness of some of the problems that other parties are dealing with.
With the transformational change we're looking at, it's really important that all these people come together to create a level playing field so that everyone is cognisant of the challenges we need to tackle. Then, they can bring in their perspectives and their skill sets to address those challenges holistically.
Technical standardisation, for example, was a huge topic at IMARC. Miners expect when there's a wave of electrification coming that they don't have to second guess what is being offered; that there are best practices which can be petrified into standards. That way you have interoperability in the equipment you're buying and not proprietary solutions.
For the next five to 10 years, we have to be in that collaborative mode. Once solutions have been established broadly and standards have been established broadly, we can get back to the usual way of competing with each other and trying to gain an advantage.
Are there other benefits you see for the mining industry from embracing a net-zero future?
As well as the sustainability wins on offer, companies are definitely understanding the potential for other environmental, social and governance gains to come from the energy transition in the mining sector.
Systems will become more autonomous, which then allows for more and more remote operations and less and less people in the actual mine site. A lot of miners would be very vocal about the fact that a lot of the deposits are in fairly unpleasant places: remote places, harsh environments, sometimes difficult from a safety environment. The less people you have there, the better.
A more sustainable, more technologically advanced mine isn’t just about hitting our 2050 net-zero targets; it’s also about creating a better place for people.
Interviewee: Joachim Braun, President of ABB Process Industries
