Indaba drives collaboration for efficiency, sustainability
Discussions and debates at the Investing in Africa Mining Indaba in Cape Town drove home that the sector’s focus on productivity and efficiency on mines was no longer at odds with sustainability imperatives.
According to Nishen Hariparsad, BME’s General Manager for Technology and Marketing, the Indaba’s theme of future-proofing mining in Africa highlighted the alignment between operating a mine for efficiency, and operating for sustainability. As a participant in a conference panel discussing technology and sustainability, Hariparsad pointed to the growing adoption of technological solutions to meet efficiency and sustainability demands simultaneously
“There is growing acknowledgement in the sector that technologies needed to focus not only on enhancing an operation’s bottom line, but should be responsive to all aspects of the mining ecosystem,” he said. “This requires a redefinition of value by mining service providers, so that we can provide solutions with positive impacts across the value chain – from the mining process to the environment and communities.”
Hariparsad emphasised that the event created opportunities for productive collaboration in developing and applying technology that would drive African mining’s sustainability goals.
Sustainability goals
“We engage very deliberately in partnerships that enhance our value proposition as we progress on our technology and sustainability journey – enhancements which are measurable, meaningful, consistent and tangible,” he explained.
Also participating in a Mining Indaba panel was Glen Heinrich, Executive: Strategy, Capital Allocation and M&A at Omnia Holdings. In a discussion on sustainable investment in mining development, Heinrich underscored how collaboration was essential to advancing sustainability across the sector.
“This is part of how businesses build agile and innovative capabilities to thrive in an increasingly complex and unpredictable environment,” he said.
He cited the example of Omnia’s partnership with Hypex Bio, inventors of the world’s first commercially viable hydrogen peroxide-based explosive emulsion systems; these nitrate-free emulsion systems reduce global emissions and water pollution associated with blasting. The session, which tackled the topic ‘Sustainable Investment – Catalyst or Constraint for Mining Development?’ allowed expert input from finance and exploration points of view.
“This kind of exchange is what underpins the Mining Indaba’s contribution to building relationships with customers and potential partners – which is crucial to meeting our collective sustainability goals and enabling growth,” he said.
The scale of the Indaba, and the number of delegates and exhibitors, was a heartening reflection of the growth of mining in Africa, noted Deon Swart, Chief Operating Officer of BME. Swart pointed to the increasing number of mining suppliers and service providers in attendance, indicating the value this forum provided for engagement and collaboration.
“As mines embrace digital and other technologies to drive efficiency across the production cycle, they look to their supply partners to provide ever-more complex solutions,” he said. “This has made it vital for supply chain participants to engage with each other on a formal basis, to put mining on track for a smart and more sustainable future.”
He said the benefits of artificial intelligence, for instance, were based on effective data collection in every mine-related activity – and the detailed analysis of data to produce useful information, reports and recommendations.
“Our high-level team and exhibition presence at the Indaba allows us to do more than reinforce what we offer the sector; it also gives us the opportunity to engage with prospective partners to enhance our value proposition,” he said. “This has become a key event to highlight the value of mining to most countries on the continent, but also to facilitate the industry’s further development through productive collaboration,” concludes Swart.
