Founder & CEO of Alp Bora & Co., Alp Bora talks about mining, sustainability and corporate culture.
Mining is necessary for providing many of the raw materials that build our world. But how can we better produce the metals we need responsibly and sustainability?
In my travels, I’ve come to find that this industry is critical to many underdeveloped countries and remote communities. One observation I made while visiting mining sites in Africa was the sector’s reliance on human input for data collection and analysis. For instance, operators were counting the number of trucks that come to the crusher. But couldn’t we unlock the potential of such operations by automating these mind-numbing tasks to cameras and sensors and leveraging the operators in more strategic tasks? This change could improve safety by minimizing human exposure to heavy machinery while also boosting productivity and providing valuable points for data collection and analysis.
I believe that 5G technology combined with the power of AI holds the key to a revolution in mining. Let’s take a closer look at the applications and how they can help open new opportunities for automated operations, enhance coverage, reduce latency and increase reliability.
A Data-Driven Future: The Smart Mine
According to McKinsey Senior Expert Mukani Moyo, “Any mining operation today will have in the thousands or hundreds of thousands of sensors capturing data.” The transformational power of data lies in how it’s collected, sorted, analyzed and presented. Technological advances have set the stage for an Internet of Things (IOT) approach to mining, making data interaction more effective.
A number of mining companies have successfully deployed smart mine technology to improve operations, gaining insights related to equipment performance, orebody and stockpile quality; plant operations; spatial and geological data; and environmental performance, all of which are critical to the successful and safe operation of a mine site. For example, one of the world’s largest gold mining companies, Australia’s Newcrest Mining, collects data from over 100,000 sensors at its Cadia Valley gold mine to create digital twins and to build predictive maintenance models. The company’s chief information officer (CIO) estimated that these data initiatives saved the company over $50 million in 2018.
Integrating 5G With Artificial Intelligence
The revolutionary 5G technology, the fifth generation of cellular networks, has the potential to provide speeds up to 100 times faster than its predecessor, 4G. With its faster connectivity speeds, ultra-low latency and expanded bandwidth, 5G is revolutionizing industries and significantly elevating day-to-day experiences. The adoption of 5G technology in the mining industry has been increasing globally, and major companies like Cisco, Hitachi Energy and Huawei are playing key roles in this trend.
Notably, Huawei has recently partnered with Debswana to introduce the world’s first 5G-oriented smart diamond mine project in Botswana. Thanks to these companies implementing standardized data standards and interfaces, “more than 2,700 sets of equipment at the mine are now interconnected using unified data standards, with 170 million pieces of data streamed to the data lake every day.” This wealth of data can then be utilized by numerous digital models of industrial mining equipment as well as data models and services, allowing for seamless sharing and utilization across all mining operations.
I believe a step change for the industry can happen with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms with 5G. Using AI, this stored data can be turned into insightful information in near-real time. For example, mining companies can use 5G real-time on-site video and AI algorithms to constantly monitor belt conveyors’ states of operation. As a result, real-time alarms could be triggered when safety or quality issues are detected.
Additionally, tech applications like 5G video calls and 5G video stitching combined with AI capabilities can also make mining more intelligent and further improve worker safety and industry productivity. 5G video calls can be used for communication and dispatching in underground operations, keeping the control center informed at any time. Underground surveillance images can be seamlessly stitched using AI to support precise remote control of the mining face and multiparty 5G video calls. And vehicles can be equipped to handle complex vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, enabling onboard computers to autonomously navigate intersections, even when two vehicles approach perpendicularly.
Making The ‘Smart Mine’ A Reality
The main challenge of the mining industry is to unify systems and industry standards. There are thousands of different devices under each mine, generating millions of points of data. Systems from different vendors have their own data systems and hardware, making it difficult for them to collaborate. Moreover, there are no industrywide standards, which are needed for the industry to innovate toward intelligent mining in the future. I believe industry leaders need to support standardized protocols and collaboration between technology providers, as these are important to enabling effortless data sharing between devices, fostering human-machine and machine-machine interconnections, and enhancing ambient awareness.
As an example of what is possible, consider one cutting-edge development introduced by Huawei: an operating system that focuses on streamlining mining operations by unifying device languages and implementing unsupervised inspections, with the goal of facilitating smoother communication between devices of varying sizes. By utilizing standardized protocols, this can enable more effortless data sharing, fostering improved human-machine and machine-machine interconnections.
Consider also how a collaborative effort between MTN, Minetec Smart Mining, Huawei and opencast Phalanndwa Colliery in 2022 has resulted in the establishment of a 5G-connected coal mine operation. This pioneering initiative is described as “a major step toward digital transformation of the coal industry.” As a result, the command and dispatch center can now quickly and effectively identify critical situations (such as gas overflows), coordinate organized evacuations, and promptly initiate shutdown procedures for mining equipment. This improved capability can significantly enhance the efficiency of emergency response operations.
Beyond Safety And Productivity
The integration of 5G technology in mining can enable accurate, real-time data capture and analysis. This approach, when coupled with AI algorithms, may also be able to enhance environmental and social performance, helping to address vital issues like air pollution and water conservation while allowing for remote monitoring of safety-critical elements such as tailings dams. Ultimately, I believe such an integration of data from diverse sources is an important step for mining industry leaders because it can position companies at the intersection of risk management, human factors and data science, empowering decision-makers with accessible and valuable ESG risk information.
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