Mining is an important economic driver of South Africa’s economy, yet political instability on how the sector should move forward has slowed down the development and implementation of new technology and has affected the revitalisation of the industry. With the creation of the Nelson Mandala Mining Precinct at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Department of Science and Technology is making a major contribution to move development forward by supporting research in several areas of mining in an effort to expedite developments.
The mining precinct creates a space for researchers from various institutions and organisations to collaborate and work together, enabling greater access to researchers and mining staff. The function of the precinct is to coordinate research activities toward the revitalisation of South Africa’s mining operations through the development of next-generation mechanised mining systems.
Ultimately, the establishment of the precinct will help advance mining research and development, make the South African mining industry more competitive, and improve the technological capabilities of local companies.
The CSIR mining hub houses representatives from 44 organisations that are active in mining and mining research in South Africa, creating an accessible and relevant mining research and development hub. The hub is funded by the Department of Science and Technology and housed at the CSIR in Melville, Johannesburg. The facility is also available for technology demonstrations on site.
At the precinct, the CSIR operates an Advanced Orebody Knowledge Programme covering six aspects of mining under the auspices of the South African Mining Extraction, Research, Development and Innovation (SAMERDI) strategy. The aim is to provide mine planners, rock engineers, geologists and other decision makers with information that will contribute to optimal extraction and zero harm.
Fig. 1: The aim of the precinct is to provide decision makers with information that will contribute to optimal extraction and zero harm.
The projects are glass rock, seeing through rock, longevity of current mines, mechanised drill and blast, non-explosive rock breaking, real-time information management and successful application of technologies centred around people.
The Advanced Orebody Knowledge Program
me is subdivided into four phases:
Non-explosive rock breaking
The research in this aspect of mining has the potential to revolutionise how we mine and direct all forces to a common goal to achieve continual production with minimal waste mining.
People-centred technology and processes
People are the heart of this programme. As the Fourth Industrial Revolution emerges globally, the development and applications of technology is inevitable. The approach is deeply rooted in two principles: the fundamental dignity and wisdom inherent in every participant in the mineral value chain; and the understanding that nothing will be done “for us” without “us”. The project aims to deliver people-centred sustainability, health and robust relationships.
Mining safely and effectively with zero exposure
This project is aimed at providing sustainable mechanised solutions to the gold and platinum mining industry by introducing disruptive technologies to facilitate zero harm and financially sound underground mining operations with consistent production rates.
Longevity of current mines
The project is aimed at improving mining practices and procedures, particularly in established mines. The aim is to prolong sustainability and preserve current jobs. The objective of the project is to improve occupational health and safety, increase efficiency of extraction and reduce cost.
Real-time information management
The project aims to improve data transmission, storage, dissemination and information management tool, practices and procedures for mines. The programme involves the collection, capture and transfer of information between underground and surface in real-time for smarter decision making, operations and control in order to improve the efficiency and safety of mining operations. The real-time management system programme must cater for multiple applications, use cases and scenarios.
Currently there is poor situational awareness underground and it is well understood that smarter decision making and control within the context of smart systems are required for multiple applications utilising shared information, communication and technology infrastructure.
To address the need, it is necessary to create and adopt a holistic real-time information system architecture for multipurpose requirements adopting common open source tools and components required to enable these solutions which will fit into an end-to-end Industrial Internet of Things.
The Precinct was launched a year ago on 13 September 2018. At the inauguration, Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said the mining sector is an important sector in the country’s economy even though its contribution to GDP over the years has declined. “We are conscious of the fact that the contribution of mining in GDP has fallen dramatically from 21% in 1970,” said Mantashe. The mining sector contributed less than 10% of the GDP in 2017. However, while the sector contributes little to the GDP, it contributes roughly 60% of foreign earnings for the country. “Mining is quite an important sector. We must strengthen it and build on it, modernise and grow it,” he said, adding that in the age of technological advancement, mining cannot be left behind.
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