Technology enhances responsible mining

New technologies have already been deployed in various mining projects. Some coal companies use robot-assisted firefighting and dust suppression technology

Mining is a minefield of risks. The supply of minerals and rare earths has come at a huge cost to the world. Cost in terms of human lives and damage to the ecology. The economic and social dependency on minerals is not going away any time soon. In some ways our dependencies are deepening. Rare earths form the fundamentals of the digital world. Materials like lithium and vanadium are critical for the devices that drive our electronic world.  
 

Now technology is returning the favour by making mining safer for people and the planet. “We predict that in 2023, mining operations will rely heavily on innovative technologies such as advanced wireless communication technologies, real-time location system (RTLS) sensors and tags, and automation systems to reduce risks and increase productivity,” says a report by industry intelligence firm Inpixon. “The mining industry is increasingly harnessing the power of industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) sensors to improve mining operations.”
 

IIoT sensors are digital instruments that measure, record, and transmit data from mining assets to upstream management and monitoring systems, which may be on- or off-site. Mining companies can automate processes and identify problems by collecting and utilising the sensor input readings from mining equipment, the air, movements of vehicles and workers, the report says. 
 

Such technologies will be especially important for India. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) recently announced a new set of mineral deposits across many states. “India for the first time established Lithium inferred resources of 5.9 million tonnes in Salal-Haimana area of Reasi District of Jammu & Kashmir (UT). This report along with 15 other resource bearing geological reports and 35 Geological memorandums were handed over to [the] respective state governments,” a statement by the government said. 
 

Of these 51 mineral blocks, five are of gold, and other blocks pertain to commodities like potash, molybdenum, and base metals spread across the 11 states of Jammu & Kashmir (UT), Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, the government says. The blocks were prepared based on work carried out by the GSI from field seasons 2018-19 on. Additionally, 17 reports of coal and lignite with a total resource of 7.8 billion tonnes were also given over to the ministry of coal. 
 

Extracting rare earths from these mines will have to be managed in a safe and sustainable manner. For instance, mining for a kilo of lithium needs millions of litres of water. Emerging technologies will be critical to ensuring safety and security of miners, while minimising the impact on the surrounding ecology. 
 

New technologies have been deployed in various projects already. Mahanadi Coalfields has launched drone technology in coal mines by the web-based portal VIHANGAM, along with a drone and ground control system. Some coal companies are using robot-assisted firefighting and dust suppression advanced technology. 

The concept of zero entry mining is also relevant for safety. According to the Australian tech firm GRT, “there are some complex orebodies that necessitate truly ‘human-less’ operations to facilitate the safe economic extraction of ore in certain mining zones. This is called ‘zero entry mining’ because no human needs to enter the mining zone.”
 

Increasingly, the mining sector is being asked to adhere to clean and green operations. Regulators, governments and civil society are placing higher demands of sustainability compliance. The global mining industry now acknowledges the need and is turning to emerging technologies for reducing its footprint on earth. The increasing use of new technology will also require countries like India to invest in domestic innovation and skilling in the sector. Technology can help ensure that mining is no longer anecological minefield.