GMG Leadership Summit

Program

Day 1: September 5

The electrical mine is not only about electric energy and the evolutionary switch from diesel to electric energy haul for mining. It will demand flexibility of rethinking how material conveying (particularly) and the supply of energy at mines is envisioned. How can we “see” into the future and ensure we are making the right capital commitments now to a future that does not quite exist? What other major developments are needed to achieve this future beyond “electrification”? What might that look like? And what are the barriers that must be navigated to achieve this future? An exploration of the “new world”.

Societal expectations are evolving around what is considered the responsible production of metals and minerals. The rise of the ESG framework to measure sustainability performance is one manifestation of this. Companies need to operate in line with community expectations on ESG performance and embed it in values, commitments, processes and culture. This means that ESG performance needs to be a central objective and consideration in mine design and planning processes for the full mine lifecycle. This presentation will focus on how ESG considerations are embedded in mine design and planning at Rio Tinto. It will touch on Rio Tinto’s sustainability framework that describes how ESG issues are managed in running the business. It will also outline how Rio Tinto’s recently developed Mine Planning Framework includes requirements to ensure that ESG considerations are embedded in mine planning processes. Several case studies will be presented to demonstrate how mine designs and plans are being developed at Rio Tinto to incorporate ESG priorities.

Innovative technologies from beyond mining are now available to our industry – but current mine design is often limiting the applicability of new technology or, at the very least, the value derived from new technology deployment. To meet future goals, an evolution is needed in our approach to mine design. How do you empower your mine designers to do things differently? How could changing approaches to mine design propel the industry towards meeting targets? What could be achieved if we apply some creativity?

Details to come

Success relies on the people. Are there enough workers with the required skills? Is value brought to the communities in or near where we operate? Are we a hip, attractive, positively impactful, and innovative industry that people want to work in? We live in a world that demands transparency, proof of ethical sourcing, work-life balance, and the betterment of humankind from companies big and small, local and global. How can we foster and nurture diversity, better prepare youth to work in today’s industry, move your people-focused employees into management positions, and make sure our actions benefit biodiversity?

The world needs more raw materials for the growing sustainable economy; however, few know the variability in the environmental impacts of existing and emerging raw material production assets. The embodied impacts of battery-grade raw materials are the largest climate change driver for lithium-ion (LIBs) battery manufacturing, and the demand for LIBs is rapidly increasing. The EU rules and regulations for selling batteries with a capacity of more than 2 kWh into the EU are making carbon dioxide (CO2) reporting mandatory in July 2024, with the battery passport in July 2026. This considers the cradle-to-cradle CO2 footprint of a battery, including scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and is calculated using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. In 2027, maximum CO2 thresholds for batteries will be set, and it will be mandatory to declare the CO2 footprint of the battery and decarbonization plans to reach net-zero. The largest area to minimise the CO2 impact of a battery is in the upstream raw material production processes itself. Asset-specific LCA studies on projects in development and in operation will help resource companies communicate and mitigate climate change impacts.

This presentation will introduce LCA and how the results can be used to enable environmentally informed decision-making. Additionally, key differences in production routes for nickel, lithium and graphite will be presented, highlighting the opportunity for raw material producers to mitigate the most damaging hotspots in their production streams. This will allow them to work towards truly sustainable energy solutions for our future.

Details to come

The mining sector needs to collaborate, implement, and invest in a portfolio of decarbonization options for scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. The pathways include emissions reduction, switching from fossil fuel to clean fuel, green/clean/renewable/nuclear energy generation, and remove and sequester carbon. As well, the industry has the opportunity to “do it right” with equitable transition in mind and needs to innovate in adopting new mine design and mineral processing technologies, accelerating novel technology adoption, and demonstrating/tracking results.

Most automation projects within the mining industry aim to improve productivity and safety. What has become clear in recent years is that the safety systems currently implemented on most mining machines do not allow us to use the machines optimally. The robot cells or automation zones that are created often only work on the periphery of the mine, as soon as a robot cell is created in the central ramp system, logistical bottlenecks are created that reduce productivity. The question then becomes how to create new safety systems that also allow high productivity? Boliden has therefore on its own initiative gathered a group of companies that are now working on a solution that will make it possible to create dynamic geofences for everything and everyone in the mine. This presentation will explore the work that Boliden has put into robotizing the charging of explosives. Boliden now plans to start charging with real explosives in the fall 2023.

Day 2: September 6

Exploring the key role technology has to play in helping mining overcome some of the serious hurdles we face.

Emerging technology is hitting the market at unprecedented rates. The ideas spawned in Sci-Fi books are becoming reality. Robots and autonomous systems, AI, gamification, digital twins, simulation, batteries, sensors and more – every aspect of the mine operation of the future will potentially evolve as industry adopts new tools and systems. We need to be prepared. What will be the impact of these new technologies? How do we ensure we are ready?

Details to come

Emerging technologies can improve the way we mine, make the industry more attractive and safer to work in, and reduce environmental impact. How can we realize new ways of working using emerging technologies and automating processes? Let’s explore the latest solutions and strategies around topics that include demonstrating provenance/traceability of minerals, developing a robust integrated supply chain, leveraging product lifecycle management, and more.

Details to come

Details to come

As the world addresses climate change and tip the balance toward making a net-positive impact, the mining and metals industry is making a contribution by tackling decarbonization, biodiversity, and various other challenges such as waste management, water conservation and energy usage. In other industries, it is widely understood that part of the solution is adopting a circular economy approach, where keeping materials as well as waste in the highest state of value at all times will contribute to lessen the carbon and environmental footprint of our industry sector. However, shifting from a linear to a circular mindset and business strategy presents both opportunities and challenges. 

 In this presentation, we will look at the state of play of circularity in the mining and metals industry by presenting the results of a short study among GMG member companies. We will present a framework to help orient the discussion, provide a few high-level illustrative initiatives, and conclude by bringing forward recommended next steps for the GMG Sustainability Working Group. 

Proper energy management can help with not only meeting net-zero goals, but also help to optimize the mine and make the implementation of new technologies more operationally efficient and costeffective. Common challenges include high energy consumption, limited access to reliable and affordable clean energy, regulatory requirements, and limited technical knowledge. We’ll work together to map out how to address key challenges, considering not just the technical and economic aspects of energy management, but the social and environmental implications, making a more equitable transition to a sustainable future for all stakeholders.