Covid-19 has mandated the increased use of automated systems in mines

This has ensured adequate safety for the workforce at mines as also continued productivity during shifts changes and de-fuming times says Mukaya Simubali, Executive Director (Asia), AAC Mining Executors Group.

How will the coal auction process lead to energy security for the country?
Indian Government has to secure energy sources especially the ones generated from coal. More than 55 per cent of power generated in India comes from coal. In 2019, India produced around 730 MT of coal but the consumption was 966 MT. India has the fifth largest coal reserves in the world with 107 billion tons, so the government has to enable private sector participation in commercial coal mining to fulfill this gap and increase coal production.

As new tenders open up in the mining sector, how is this poised to impact the mining sector?
This will enhance the mining sector by the way of adding new resources and technologies. It will also attract foreign investors and thereby enhance the national economy and reduce unemployment.

Keeping in mind the wrath of the pandemic, what measures need to be taken to ensure adequate safety and social distancing in functional mines?
Due to the pandemic ensuring the availability and utilisation of personal protective equipment has become mandatory. Likewise, this has also led to an assessment for identifying the tasks which can be remotely executed as also the ones which would require the on-site presence of professionals. Disinfection of meeting rooms, conference halls, vehicles and other office spaces is necessary. Likewise, disinfection of the sites which witness human presence have to be done to keep the pandemic at bay.

Will this situation usher in an era of renewed digitization and augment remote monitoring of mining equipment, processes and tools?
Covid-19 epidemic outbreak has made mining companies think about how to increase the use of automated systems in their mines and reduce their workforce. This has ensured adequate safety for the workforce at mines as also continued productivity during shifts changes and de-fuming times. There is a great example for automation in Syama, an underground gold mine in Mali, which became the world’s first fully autonomous mine operation where loaders, trucks and drills are fully automated.

When the situation normalises, what can mine operators do to get their operations back to full speed?
The mine operators can adopt a number of measures to ensure their operations continue unabated once normalcy resumes. Few of these include

● Incentivizing workforce
● Efficient planning for best utilization for operators and machines
● Adopt ‘Digital Transformation’ as a tool to improve productivity
● Companies need to support their small contractors and suppliers to eliminate any disruption to their supply chain.