Digitalisation Report 2023

Despite the vast potential of AI, mistrust remains a factor in its adoption within the industry

Deeper networks: The digitalisation paradigm shift

A transformative change is sweeping through the mining industry as companies rapidly accelerate digitalisation initiatives to enhance efficiency, productivity and safety. This evolution is taking place against a backdrop of constant geopolitical ruptures and ever-evolving stakeholder demands.

This comprehensive report delves into a range of pioneering digitalisation programs undertaken by mining companies worldwide. These initiatives showcase the wide spectrum of technologies driving industry transformation, spanning from autonomous mining equipment to virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

Connectivity as a catalyst

Connectivity emerges as a recurring theme across deployments, enabling significant gains in productivity and safety. Newcrest Mining, for instance, is spearheading the integration of 5G technology within its operations.

In collaboration with Nokia, the company is implementing a private 5G network at its Cadia Valley mine in New South Wales. This network promises high-speed, low-latency connectivity to facilitate various applications, including autonomous vehicles, remote equipment control and real-time data analytics.

Jason Nitz, manager of technology and innovation at Newcrest, emphasised that while the potential of these technologies is significant, careful consideration must be given to human factors.

“Change is never easy, but knowing the benefits and clearly communicating them usually gets buy-in. The change-management process involved a great deal of communication to the workforce,” he said.

The operators of the Pyhäsalmi zinc and copper mine in Finland also highlighted the importance of 5G in their use of a digital twin to simulate different scenarios and identify potential problems before they occur.

However, Sakari Nokela, chief development officer at Callio Pyhäjärvi – Mine for Business, acknowledges that the capex requirements are considerable. “Everything is very costly,” he told the Digitalisation report.

 The AI black box

Despite the vast potential of AI, mistrust remains a factor in its adoption within the industry due to the safety and financial implications of tinkering with operational aspects of multi-billion dollar assets. However, some projects are already demonstrating AI’s transformative capabilities.