ABB Has Been Pacesetter In The Automation Of Mining Industry
Q. What is your assessment over the current mining scenario in India?
Currently, India imports minerals worth Rs. 2.5 trillion, despite being a geographical location that has been blessed with ample resources. In fact, only 10 percent of India’s available mineral resources have been tapped in terms of surface area. The National Mineral Policy, however, sees this as a major opportunity for growth which was reinstated its goals outlined for the next seven years increasing mineral production in the country to 200 per cent.
In line with its vision to realise a ‘self-reliant’ or ‘Aatmanirbhar’ India, the central government has directed The Geological Survey of India (GSI) to delineate 100 geologically potent mineral blocks for auction. The auction regime marks the beginning of a reformed mining sector that is ready for the future.
Q. What is the Present scenario for CE manufacturers in India?
The Center’s new auction regime brought in effect through amendments to the MDMR Act include increased flexibility that would allow miners to maximize output from captive mines, additional royalty payments to states for the extension of mining leases to central public sector enterprises, and leeway for auctions or re-auction processes.
The onset of the auctioning process, however, has meant that allocations are now being bought at prices higher that they used to be in the pre-bidding era, which has recalibrated the oscillation between capacity expansion, resource efficiency, and cost cutting measures. The industry, nevertheless, has been meeting these developments with enthusiasm and optimism. Much of this optimism has gained momentum due to the availability of and accessibility to world-class scientific mining technology within the country. Industry members, therefore, are now engaging in overdrive through digitalization, electrification and automation solutions that provide visibility of resources across the mine, access to intelligent production based on near real-time demand, market conditions and available ore types, all while meeting carbon emission levels and sustainability goals.
Q. What are the Growth areas identified by ABB in Mining?
ABB has been a pacesetter in the automation of the mining industry pioneering cutting edge automation, digitization and electrification solutions specifically designed for the mining industry.
ABB Ability™ Collaborative Operations Centers provides clients access to a growing global network of ABB mining technology experts, who are dedicated in connecting mine and mill operators and engineers with expert advice in processes, automation, and electrification. ABB experts can view and analyze client mine data on a real-time basis to make the process of identification, prevention, and resolution of critical issues more robust. This data-driven decision support enabled through centralized data collection is the first step to move towards a fully autonomous mining operation.
ABB’s roadmap for the mining industry has been sensitive of the fact that the industry has lagged other sectors in technology and automation, partly owing to the very harsh conditions of these mines making re-designing a rather tedious process. Therefore, ABB’s solutions have been carefully curated to enable smooth and easy adoption at all levels from partial automation, local automation, connection and optimization, collaborative mobilization, to fully autonomous economic automation, in parts or even at once.
Apart from the obvious efficiency, cost, and environmental benefits that automation in the mining industry is, it is also protecting a large number of lives from harsh and potentially dangerous work environments that can be avoided through the application of these solutions. Ground-breaking digital twinning systems is enabling remote control, monitoring and safety checks on terrains that can prove to be extremely challenging for human access.
Q. What has been ABB’s Approach towards energy efficiency and eco-friendly technologies
Government reforms that incentivize scientific adoptions is enabling a more productive, efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective mining process. Cellphones, electric vehicles, batteries, wind farms, virtually every aspect of modern life relies on the ores mined from the earth. Cutting edge technology is helping delivery from ore to port meet newer standards. On the other hand, the developing carbon impression – the quantity of ozone depleting substances (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are produced by our activities has been a mitigation point of paramount importance to policymakers and governments across the globe. For India, carbon emission from mining represents 7-8 per cent of the challenge that lies ahead of itself. India has voluntarily committed to reducing greenhouse gas emission intensity of its GDP by 33-35 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.
The energy needs of the modern mine simply cannot be sustainably met with diesel machinery alone. There must be a transformation. And ABB is committed to working with mines to bring about that transformation.
ABB recently launched the game-changing ABB Ability™ eMine to fast-track the transition to all-electric mines. eMine™ comprises a purposeful approach, methods and a portfolio of electrification and digital systems designed to accelerate the decarbonization of the mining sector.
ABB’s Key projects and clientele
Some of the notable success stories that has helped place ABB as the innovative leader in the space has been, the world’s first industry 5G trial for remote operation in mining done at ABB Chile, Kazakhstan’s largest copper producer doubling its capacity through the application of ABB’s digital solutions, lowering of both carbon emissions and operating costs in the Amazon through ABB’s integrated electrification and conveyor automation solution, enablement of unmanned crushers in Canada, fully automated machine control of bulk material handling terminals and stockyards in Germany, integrated mill operational data of mine sites at a major mining company headquarters in India, to name a few .
Q. What is ABB’s Latest tech addition and future prospects?
ABB Ability™ eMine has been launched to fast-track the transition to all-electric mines. eMine™ comprises a purposeful approach, methods and a portfolio of electrification and digital systems designed to accelerate the decarbonization of the mining sector. ABB Ability™ eMine also presents new pilot innovation, ABB Ability™ eMine FastCharge, which is set to become the world’s fastest and only fully automated charging system for haul trucks, offering up to 600kW of power. eMine™ also includes ABB Ability™ eMine Trolley System technology that can reduce diesel consumption by up to 90 percent while haul trucks are on a trolley system.
Our ABB Ability™ MineOptimize, is a holistic approach to the entire mining operation which will dominate ABB’s thought process and enablement in the space for the coming years by enabling autonomous configuration, efficient operation and self-diagnostics through added smart devices, equipment, as well as software that delivers total, real-time transparency for the operators.
Q. Production capacities and plans on expansion
Over the past decades, ABB has invested across domains and has helped expand the overall manufacturing base in India. Our solutions have been developed in India with a vision to support the Government of India’s Make in India policy. Our India specific efforts, coupled with ABB Ability™ Collaborative Operations Centers, which is our global network of domain expertise and personnel, has put us in prime position to support local Mining customers with Global industry knowhow.
