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ABSTRACT
Several mining companies have set targets to decarbonize their operations by the year 2050. At the same time, there is pressure on the mining sector to increase the supply of minerals needed for clean energy technologies. Digital technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things are reshaping the way the mining sector works. This literature review identifies examples of current digital technologies implemented in mining operations and highlights their reported benefits. Although several benefits were reported, mining companies tend to focus on safety, productivity, and cost. Energy and greenhouse gas reductions are commonly overlooked, despite having the potential to shrink the mining carbon footprint. Quantifying the energy and greenhouse gas emission reductions achieved through implementation of digital technologies could strengthen the business case to enhance their adoption and help the mining sector reach decarbonization goals.
RÉSUMÉ
Plusieurs sociétés minières se sont fixé pour objectif de décarboniser leurs activités d’ici à 2050. Parallèlement, des pressions s’exercent sur le secteur minier pour qu’il augmente l’offre de minerais nécessaires aux technologies énergétiques propres. Les technologies numériques telles que l’automatisation, l’intelligence artificielle, l’apprentissage automatique et l’internet des objets sont en train de remodeler la façon dont le secteur minier travaille. Cette revue de la littérature identifie des exemples de technologies numériques actuellement mises en œuvre dans les opérations minières et met en évidence les avantages qu’elles procurent. Bien que plusieurs avantages aient été signalés à la suite de la mise en œuvre des technologies numériques, les sociétés minières ont tendance à se concentrer sur la sécurité, la productivité et les coûts. Les réductions d’énergie et de gaz à effet de serre sont souvent négligées, bien qu’elles aient le potentiel de réduire l’empreinte carbone de l’industrie minière. La quantification des réductions d’énergie et d’émissions de gaz à effet de serre obtenues grâce à la mise en œuvre des technologies numériques pourrait renforcer l’argumentaire en faveur de leur adoption et aider le secteur minier à atteindre ses objectifs en matière de changement climatique.
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
An earlier draft of this paper was presented at the 2023 Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Convention (CIM MTL23) prior to undergoing the CIM Journal peer-review process.
REVIEW STATEMENT
Paper reviewed and approved for publication by the Maintenance, Engineering and Reliability Society of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
O. Asa’d
Osama Asa’d is an energy technologist with the Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)–CanmetMINING team in Sudbury, Canada. He holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Dalhousie University. His focus is to improve energy efficiency and energy management in the mining sector. Osama has worked on several projects that aim to reduce energy use and GHG emissions in mining operations.
M. Levesque
Michelle Levesque is the Engineering Technical Lead for the Climate Chante Mitigation team at NRCan-CanmetMINING. Michelle is a chemist and holds master’s and PhD degrees in Natural Resources Engineering. Focusing on the development of tools and technologies for improving energy efficiency within the mining sector, Michelle has worked on various projects aiming to improve sustainability in mining.