In what is believed to be a world-first, RCT, together with equipment manufacturer Rham Equipment, has deployed a fully autonomous battery-electric Rham loader into the African mining sector.

This technological feat saw RCT work with Rham to specifically engineer the automated loader to effortlessly work in height-restricted drives in a South African platinum mining operation.

RCT’s market-leading ControlMaster® automation technology was integrated with the Rham ultra-low profile (ULP) 25HD battery-electric loader with the package installed at Rham’s factory, prior to the loader’s deployment to the site.

This project showcases ControlMaster as a proven interoperable automation platform that can be integrated across any mobile equipment make, type or model, RCT said.

With the technology established on site, the loader operators are able to manage LHD operations from the safety of a ControlMaster Automation Centre on the mine’s surface.

In addition to this, RCT interfaced with the Rham dash display and replicated it on the Automation Centre, to provide the operator with important machine health information.

The project also includes the implementation of RCT Connect, a specialised underground communications network designed to enhance autonomous fleet operations.

Rham Managing Director, Kevin Reynders, said: “This joint venture project has run effortlessly creating safer machines for our miners.

“Rham Equipment, a Level 3 B-BBEE South African, (Pty) Limited Company, has been producing specialised mining equipment since 1980. The company has been providing the South African mining industry with quality products and top-of-the-range services for the past four decades.”

Reynders added: “The product range includes underground transporters, excavators, LHDs, dump trucks, roof bolters and conveyor drives, to name but a few. To date, Rham Equipment has supplied over 2,000 units to some of the most prominent South African platinum, gold- and coal mines who we count amongst our customer portfolios.”

RCT Business Development Manager for Africa, Mike Thomas, said the project represented an important milestone on many fronts.

“ControlMaster has an extensive history integrating with diesel powered equipment, but this project proves that the technology can interface seamlessly with battery-electric mobile machines.

“Battery-electric equipment fleets can significantly reduce a mining operation’s carbon footprint while eliminating the costs associated with diesel consumption, so we expect to see a greater uptake of the technology around the world. The technology will relocate the machine operators to a safe working area on the mine’s surface while enabling optimised autonomous machine operations.”

“A cornerstone of ControlMaster is its ability to integrate with any machine and this project proves that our technology can interface with Rham’s loader, which is an entirely new machine for us.”

RCT’s technical team will empower mine site personnel with comprehensive training and technical support to operate and maintain the equipment going forward, it said.

The company concluded: “The project demonstrates RCT’s automation technology can successfully integrate with battery-electric mining equipment and is an important step toward delivering an autonomous, carbon-friendly mining fleet of the future.”

Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited (CRP) has announced that it has taken another step forward in bringing its Korella North rock phosphate mine into operation. CRP has contracted with leading Australian civil and mining contracting firm NRW Holdings Ltd for its wholly owned subsidiary Golding Contractors to provide mining services for the development of the Korella North Mine.

CRP, through its Australian company Korella Fertilizers, has since earlier this year been discussing with Golding the provision of mining and exploration services in the development of its Korella North, Korella Central and Korella South phosphate projects located adjacent to Phosphate Hill, in North-West Queensland.

Under the agreement Golding will provide mining services to facilitate the granting of a mining lease at Korella North (EMP 28589) and statutory services in the exploration of Korella South (EMP28187).

The Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited mining services agreement adds to several contract wins announced by Golding over the past year including a five-year contract extension at the Phosphate Hill Mine, Queensland, Australia, to extend the Golding operations out to September 2026; a contract extension at the Curragh Coal Mine in central Queensland, Australia, out to December 2026; a five & half year contract extension at the Baralaba North Mine central Queensland, Australia; and a A$52 million rail civil construction package and a A$15 million bulk earthworks, drainage and roadworks package for the Olive Downs Mine in the Bowen Basin, Queensland, Australia.

Korella Fertilizers is a Cloncurry, NW Queensland based operation for international phosphate company Chatham Rock Phosphate Ltd. With its Korella phosphate sourced south of Cloncurry at Phosphate Hill, Korella Fertilizers is establishing a distribution hub and a MCP manufacturing plant in Cloncurry to service its rural customer base, especially those in northern Australia. In parallel the company is working on plans for a 2 Mt/y bulk phosphate rail loading facility at Korella North, Phosphate Hill and a 5Mtpa ship-loader in the Port of Townsville.

Anglo American says it has sourced the supply of 100% renewable electricity for its operations in Australia from 2025, agreeing terms for a 10-year partnership with Stanwell Corporation, the
Queensland Government-owned provider of electricity and energy solutions.

The deal will effectively remove all Scope 2 emissions from Anglo American’s steelmaking coal business in Australia from 2025, supporting Anglo American’s progress towards carbon-neutral operations by 2040, it said.

Dan van der Westhuizen, CEO of Anglo American in Australia, said: “Sourcing 100% renewables supply from Stanwell Corporation, linked to two major wind and solar projects in Queensland, is
a big step towards our target of carbon-neutral operations in Australia – and globally – by 2040. We are committed to playing our part to help combat climate change, including accelerating a number of technologies to abate our on-site emissions, from electrifying our truck fleet and other mobile equipment to capturing the methane from our steelmaking coal seams.

“I am delighted that we are able to support Stanwell Corporation in its investment in 650 MW of renewables capacity for Queensland. Today’s deal brings significant environmental benefits
and is net present value-positive compared with our current energy mix, while underwriting a large investment in renewable energy generation for Queensland.”

Anik Michaud, Anglo American’s Group Director of Corporate Relations and Sustainable Impact, said: “Combined with the agreements we already have in place for all our South America operations, from 2025 we expect to be drawing 60% of our global electricity requirements from renewable sources, transforming our Scope 2 emissions profile. We are committed to producing the metals and minerals that we need to mitigate the extent of global warming in the most responsible and sustainable way.”

The partnership between Anglo American and Stanwell underwrites investment in the two major Queensland renewable energy projects – Clarke Creek Wind Farm in Central Queensland and
Blue Grass Solar Farm near Chinchilla, Anglo American says.

GroundProbe has announced plans to build a second dedicated manufacturing facility in Tucson, Arizona, USA, marking a new chapter in its commitment to better serve its customers in the Northern hemisphere.

The expansion of GroundProbe’s manufacturing capabilities comes following significant growth in recent years.

Announcing its plans at the recent International Slope Stability Symposium in Arizona, GroundProbe CEO, David Noon, said the new facility will open its doors in early 2023.

“As our global footprint and customer base continues to grow, so too does the volume and variety of products that we produce,” he said. “We saw it as an absolute necessity to bolster our offering and extend our manufacturing capability from Asia Pacific to the Americas.

“It means that, from early 2023, we will be able to more readily deploy our safety-critical systems – systems that are integral to their ongoing operations and productivity – to our Northern hemisphere customers.”

GroundProbe, which currently manufactures its products in Australia, says it is widely accepted as the global leader in real-time technologies that detect instabilities and predict when mine and dam collapses will occur.

The addition of a second manufacturing facility signifies an important step for GroundProbe’s future growth, especially for North and South America, for GroundProbe’s Chief Commercial Officer and VP Americas, Ben Moke.

“When scouting locations for a second site, Tucson quickly became the preferred location,” Moke said. “It’s central to our customers, and it’s close to a number of geotechnical consulting firms and university partners, including the Geotechnical Center of Excellence at the University of Arizona.

“It’s going to be fantastic to have a facility where the geotechnical community can experience our state-of-the-art technology being manufactured and deployed to mine sites across the Americas. With a track record that speaks for itself, GroundProbe’s technologies are the industry’s most robust and reliable, having never failed to detect a collapse.

“The second facility will manufacture every one of our products to the same level of quality that we are known for and that is expected of us as market leaders.”

3D-P says it has been selected by Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC)’s Spring Creek Mine in Big Horn County, Montana to deploy, support, and monitor a state-of-the-art wireless network at the world class thermal coal operation. “Our client is utilising our unique Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) offering, giving them access to the safety and productivity advantages of an industrial network without the upfront costs.”

Spring Creek Mine began coal shipments in 1980 with a permitted mining capacity of 36 Mt/y. Current mining involves a single coal seam 80-ft thick. Mining is carried out primarily by dragline operations, with truck/shovel operations utilised to move coal. Spring Creek has been consistently exporting coal to Asia since 2002. The mine currently produces about 15 Mt/y.

For this project, 3D-P is deploying the network infrastructure and providing the client device, which in this case is its ruggedised Hybrid LTE/InstaMesh® Osprey, a variant of its Intelligent Endpoint (IEP) data radio. “This LTE/InstaMesh® combination allows for critical connectivity, extending the coverage and performance of the network by fully leveraging the benefits of a true meshing solution.”

Additionally, this project allows the mine to utilise LTE technology in the future as the Osprey roams seamlessly from LTE to Wi-Fi/mesh. “This IEP is a critical component of our Network Performance Analysis Toolkit (NPAT), allowing us to monitor the network to ensure high performance, throughput and uptime. Our NaaS solution delivers the level of wireless network performance our clients need to achieve their production objectives, effectively providing them with a state-of-the-art network that is affordable and within budget.”

dynaCERT Inc says that its dealer H2 Tek LP has provided an update on sales of dynaCERT’s proprietary HydraGEN™ technology to several Tier 1 players in the global mining industry. The patented technology creates hydrogen and oxygen on-demand through a unique electrolysis system and supplies these gases through the air intake to enhance combustion, resulting in lower carbon emissions and greater fuel efficiency.

Zinc miner Nexa Resources, with six mines and three smelters in Brazil and Peru has purchased four HG1s for highway transport haul trucks in Brazil and six HG2 Units on three trucks in Peru with double HG2s per vehicle for trials, which successfully demonstrated the benefits of the HydraGEN technology to the satisfaction of Nexa Resources.

Global iron ore and zinc miner Vale has purchased from H2 Tek four HG6C HydraGEN™ Units for a single large diesel power generator to be installed at the remote Voisey’s Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador nickel mine to be used on a 4.5 MW generator. Copper mining giant Codelco and H2 Tek have completed a successful pilot of two HG6C HydraGEN™ units on large Komatsu 930E haul trucks at the Division Ministro Hales (DMH) mine in Calama, Chile.

Antamina, one of the largest mines in the world, and the largest Peruvian producer of copper concentrate, has purchased from H2 Tek three HG6C HydraGEN™ Units to be installed in large mining haul trucks. The Collahuasi copper mine in Chile (Anglo American 44%, Glencore 44%) has also said it is looking at the technology for its mining trucks.

Over the past two years, dynaCERT says it has received input from its dealers and customers and the larger HydraGEN™ Technology Units, the HG4C and HG6C, have been significantly modified and improved. The HG4C and HG6C Units are designed to meet the growing need and demand for improved fuel efficiency along with a significant reduction in GHGs of resources companies

Joao Araujo, Partner at H2 Tek, stated: “At H2 Tek, we are committed to helping our clients complete their projects in a safe, profitable, and environmentally sustainable manner. With a focus on mining, forestry, agriculture and power generation, we are pleased to support our clients in providing the products and infrastructure that people need while reducing the environmental footprint, fuel consumption and maintenance costs for all diesel equipment. The HydraGEN™ Technology of dynaCERT helps us meet our ESG goals and will contribute as a major step forward in reducing GHGs.“

Ed Cordeiro, Director of Sales, Americas, of dynaCERT, stated: “As global diesel prices soar, dynaCERT continues to serve the mining sector in Canada and internationally, as well as the forestry industry and private sector users of internal combustion engines in the construction industry. Our products help users to achieve sustainability and reduce global Greenhouse Gas Emissions. I applaud the clients of H2 Tek for their vision and commitment to contributing to a greener planet by reducing emissions.”

Dry-type transformer specialist Trafo Power Solutions has recently been given a ‘hill to climb’ in terms of design and logistics with a request to supply three units to an underground gold mine in South Africa.

The mine required the transformers to operate in the usual demanding conditions of dust, moisture and heat, according to Trafo Power Solutions Managing Director, David Claassen. However, there were a range of other challenges – not least the weight and height restrictions of a deep mine. While two of the transformers are relatively small – 250 kVA and 630 kVA – the third is a substantial 3,150 kVA.

“The transformers are to operate at about 1 km below surface, and will have to be transported through both an incline shaft and vertical shaft,” Claassen says. “Especially with the larger unit, we had to work very closely with our Italian technology partner TMC to reach a design that could be moved within these constraints.”

Trafo Power Solutions also designed the enclosures locally in a manner that would allow them to be transported in manageable components before being re-assembled underground. The enclosure design had to ensure that, while dust and moisture were kept out, there was still enough air circulation to cool the unit. The dry-type transformers will be supplying loads for a refrigeration plant.

“Trafo Power Solutions conducted the complete designs, which were then verified and vetted by TMC,” Claassen says. “This quality control is central to our approach in ensuring fit-for-purpose solutions.”

He emphasised that the design and manufacture of the units was carried out according to schedule and they are on track to be supplied within the customer’s required timeframes.

“On-time supply is an increasingly important aspect of success for mining companies,” he says. “Mines’ capital expenditure is planned according to the expected returns on any project, and supplier delays can undermine these forecasts.”

Trafo Power Solutions also designed the specialised skid bases for the transformers, to facilitate moving the units to their operating destination. These accommodate the considerable weight of the units, particularly the 10-t mass of the large 3,150 kVA unit.

Delivery of the transformers is expected to take place by the end of the year, with Trafo Power Solutions supervising the installation and commissioning process.

Michelin North America, Inc has launched MICHELIN MEMS Lite, it’s newest offer in connected tyres for surface mining and quarry vehicles. MICHELIN MEMS Lite is an entry-level tyre MEMS solution that combines Michelin’s proven liquid-proof sensors to deliver periodic tyre pressure and temperature readings. Tyre sensors are mounted inside the tyres, where data is captured periodically as vehicles drive by fixed reading stations strategically located at the mine site. The data is then sent remotely to connected devices through a local server or secure cloud server.

“As part of Michelin Better Mining, we strive to provide the mining industry with innovative services and solutions, beyond the tyre, that add value for users. We designed this new entry-level MEMS offer to meet the needs of customers who want to start using a TPMS with basic features to improve their operations,” said Hugo Morales, Mining MEMS business development manager. “We found that miners running 100-150 ton trucks were looking for a simple, robust plug-and-play solution with alerts sent to their mobile devices should an issue arise, which will be supported by a trusted technical network.”

MICHELIN MEMS Lite requires no hardware installation on trucks. It is an easy-to-install and operate tyre monitoring solution that adds both safety and savings to operations, giving operators better control of their equipment and making it a budget-friendly solution for mine owners. Michelin says MEMS Lite helps mine operators:

• Strengthen safety by monitoring tyre pressure and temperature remotely, keeping personnel at a safe distance from equipment.
• Save on budget by extending the life of the tyres and reducing unplanned maintenance. Tyre budgets represent up to 20% of maintenance costs for equipment fleets. For tyre budgets of $1,000,000 annually, a TPMS can deliver annual savings up to $200,000
• Increase productivity by keeping machines running through improved tyre data

As a result, mine operators can drive performance and elevate mine operations to the next level. “One of our primary goals is to provide the mining industry with multiple options to help owners and operators achieve maximum efficiency within their budgets. We designed this new entry-level unit to meet the needs of customers who want to start using a TPMS with basic features to improve their operations,” said Sarah Robinson, Regional Segment Manager, Michelin North America. “With costs being an ever-increasing concern for the mines today, Michelin feels that the MEMS Lite will ultimately increase efficiency and at the same time help lower costs. It’s a win-win for the mines.”

MEMS Lite is easily upgraded to MEMS4, as they both use the same platform and communication protocols that are currently available in North America.

US-based bulk material processing and handling systems specialist, Superior Industries Inc, is planning to showcase more than 250 tons (227 t) of products at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada, in March, with at least eight of the products representing brand new launches.

Included among this new product offering is an expanded cone crusher portfolio, with two brand-new cone models introduced and shown alongside Superior’s Patriot® Bushing Cone.

Superior explained: “First, the Dakota™ Bearing Cone, which will earn credibility for its efficient use of horsepower per tonne, a straightforward lubrication system, and a wide range of liner profiles. The other new cone crusher will be called the Endeavor™ Spider Bushing Cone. Operationally, it’s an uncomplicated design that accepts a wide range of feed sizes with an adjustable stroke for fine tuning.”

Superior also plans to display its Liberty® Jaw, Valor® VSI, and Sentry® HSI crushers.

In addition to this, Superior plans to debut a new quick-to-erect modular wash plant.

According to Superior, its increasingly broad portfolio of Fusion® Modular Platforms are a good match for aggregate producers seeking semi-static plants that are easy to install and maintain with a more economical price tag than portable plants or design-build projects. On display, the company plans to erect a 8 x 20 ft (2.4 m x 6.1 m), three-deck Guardian® Horizontal Wet Screen Fusion Platform with an Aggredry® Dewatering Screen attached to one of the discharge points.

In 2023, it will mark the eighth time Superior will display its famed TeleStacker® Conveyor (pictured) at CONEXPO-CON/AGG – and each show there is new technology to showcase and new success stories to share. With radial travel, variable height and a telescopic conveyor, TeleStacker Conveyors stockpile material in a way that overcomes material segregation. This show, Superior will display a 42 in (1.06 m) x 170 ft (52 m) XTP Swing Axle model with a working automation panel that visitors can interact with in the booth.

Lastly, Superior will display a wide variety of its own conveyor components, with the manufacturer planning to show more than three dozen individual idlers, pulleys, scrapers and other conveyor accessories. New products include a redesigned line of Exterra® Belt Cleaners with some brand-new options, a modular Load Zone Skirting System for dust and spillage control, and unique Application-Specific Idler Bearing Seals for longer-lasting idlers in demanding conditions.

BHP has submitted a revised non-binding indicative proposal to the Board of OZ Minerals Limited (OZL) that, subject to a successful four-week due dilligence period, could see the major miner acquire the mid-tier base metal-focused miner.

The offer to acquire 100% of OZ Minerals by way of a scheme of arrangement for a cash price of A$28.25/share ($18.9/share) is a 13% increase on the offer BHP previously put forwad and was rejected by the OZ Minerals Board. It, according to BHP, represents the best and final price the mining major is willing to offer under, in the absence of a competing proposal.

The OZ Minerals Board has confirmed to BHP that it intends to unanimously recommend the revised proposal to OZ Minerals shareholders as being in their best interests in the absence of a superior proposal, subject to the parties entering into a binding scheme implementation agreement (SIA) following completion of BHP’s confirmatory due diligence and an independent expert concluding that the revised proposal is in the best interests of OZ Minerals shareholders, it said.

The proposed transaction, valuing OZ Minerals at an enterprise value of A$9.6 billion, is expected to deliver significant value creation for both BHP and OZ Minerals shareholders, BHP says, explaining that OZ Minerals shareholders would receive an offer price significantly above trading levels and average broker price targets, prior to BHP’s initial proposal on August 5, 2022. At the same time, BHP shareholders would gain increased exposure to future-facing commodities, adding copper and nickel resources that are essential to support the global megatrends of decarbonisation and electrification.

The deal would also create a South Australian copper basin, which, according to BHP, could unlock potential operational synergies due to the proximity of OZ Minerals’ Carrapateena and Prominent Hill operations with BHP’s existing Olympic Dam asset (pictured) and Oak Dam development resource.

The West Musgrave project, meanwhile, will add a large greenfield nickel option to BHP’s Nickel West premier nickel sulphide resource position in Western Australia.

BHP has now entered into a Confidentiality and Exclusivity Deed with OZ Minerals in relation to the revised proposal. This has seen OZ Minerals grant BHP four weeks to undertake exclusive confirmatory due diligence and negotiate a binding SIA reflecting the key terms of the revised proposal. The four-week period is expected to commence on or around November 21, 2022.

BHP CEO, Mike Henry, said: “BHP’s proposal represents a highly compelling offer for OZ Minerals shareholders, providing certainty at a time of macroeconomic uncertainty and market volatility, and increasing risks for the industry.

“The combination of BHP and OZ Minerals’ assets, skills and technical expertise provides a unique opportunity not available under separate ownership, with complementary resources including the Oak Dam exploration prospect and existing facilities within close proximity, backed by BHP’s strong balance sheet, capital discipline and commitment to sustainable development.”

OZ Minerals Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Cole, said: “BHP’s revised proposal is a clear reflection of OZ Minerals’ unique set of highly strategic, quality assets in quality jurisdictions and an enviable multi-generational growth pipeline of copper and nickel
assets in strong demand due to global electrification. We look forward to working with BHP in a collaborative way to progress the revised proposal in the best interests of OZ Minerals’ and its stakeholders.”