Technology upgradation to obtain sustainability in surface mining

Tarique Salman, Segment Manager, Surface Excavation Machine Vermeer India. In an Interview with B2B Purchase.

Despite technological advancements in the mining industry, the mining industry still consumes a significant number of resources such as water, land, and carbon energy, which frequently causes severe environmental harm. There are many developments that need to be made in this field to make mining more sustainable. We need to strike a balance between all the factors, be they economic, environmental, or social, so that we make a better place for our future generation.

Controlling emissions at mining sites 

When you see a lot of smoke there, it is generally dust and not emissions from the vehicles working in the mining areas. However, 90 percent of the dust in the atmosphere is generated from drilling and blasting, while the other 10 percent comes from other mining operations. This dust creates many health hazards, right from small breathing troubles to as severe as pulmonary diseases. Therefore, depending on the type of mine where these procedures are used, they pose a significant health risk to all mining workers as well as residents working in nearby areas.

Another important area of concern is the gas emissions, not only from the mining vehicles but also, like NOX emissions from blasting, from mining. Moreover, this is the chart from a recent study done in the United States, where they discovered that up to 195 tonnes of nitrous oxide emissions were present in the mines blasting his view.

How do we achieve sustainability? 

If we talk about achieving sustainability, the number one thing is that we can use lower-impact mining techniques, electric vehicles, and electric engines. 

These techniques also reduce the exposed areas and, therefore, we even have a better approach in terms of environmentally friendly mining procedures. The second step that you can take is to reuse the mining waste, and the third, obviously, is to use eco-friendly equipment when you talk about surface mining. Vermeer has developed surface miners that are not only very fuel-efficient but also have several features that are developed here to keep the environment in the mine.

Precision surface mining not only eliminates Drilling & Blasting and Ripping, but it also allows you to increase mining output by working closer to populated areas. Since the machine does not require setup, you can start quickly once the machine reaches the side. In addition, you can increase your production capacity without increasing the pressure on your primary crusher. Since the mining equipment generates a consistent smaller size, the output to the secondary crusher is greatly improved.

Vermeer’s technology for surface mining Coming to the technology and operational software, Vermeer has inbuilt operation software, which we call the “Smart Tec System.” It not only measures and monitors all the performance parameters of operations, but it also helps the operator to optimise productivity. It will monitor all the control systems, whether they are optimised or not, and it will send an alarm to the operator so that he can improve his operational skills. Not only this, it even has the capability of recording shift-wise performance parameters, so the manager of the fleet owner can identify the operator of which shift is producing more output. Another advantage is that it will be more helpful in product training as well as the improvement of the machine performance. “