Hard on the heels of COP26, the UN’s Climate Change Conference that attracted global attention, we’re doing our own bit to cut emissions.
We’ve just launched the third deep tech research project—Materials Movement—as part of our ongoing Zero Emissions Copper Mine of the Future initiative.
Materials Movement, which will start early next year, will take a comprehensive look at everything to do with how mines handle, store, transport and dispose of materials, from ore to waste.
Materials Movement is a major cause of a mine’s emission intensity. GHG output is related to diesel consumption, so reducing this through electric and battery vehicles, Hydrogen, improved equipment efficiency, optimised haulage distances and the degree of rock fragmentation are critical areas for innovation and technological solutions.
Other challenges include integrated mine planning and communication, conveyor technologies, automation and advanced equipment, material sorting technologies and quantum sensing technologies.
This is a huge topic, but once again we’re pleased to be working with Anglo American, Sandfire and other ICAA members.
This next report follows the ground breaking Water Report launched mid year. It is now being used to guide the OZ Minerals Open Innovation Challenge to reduce mine waste and Adelaide University’s CRC Bid Copper for Tomorrow.
It was heartening to hear US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, recently say the transition toward net zero represents a $4T investment opportunity every year from now to 2030. He added that companies who come out on top will be the ones who make the first moves to fast-track clean energy innovation.
We plan to help copper companies do just that.
Cheers, John Fennell
