OT governance is imperative for Africa’s mines
By Koos Fourie, Technical Director, and Theuns Nieuwenhuizen, Technical Director, at Sedna Industrial IT Solutions.
Koos Fourie, technical director of Sedna Industrial IT Solutions.
THEGovernance of operational technology (OT) is no longer a nice-to-have, but a business imperative for Africa’s mining and heavy-duty industries as risks to operations and lives increase. Going forward, digital solutions that promote integration and continuity while keeping workers safe and protecting against cyber threats will only emerge as mines and manufacturers, who remain integral to Africa’s future growth, realize the benefits of the connected, integrated digital world.
As a leading EMEA mining and industrial digital solutions provider, we are at the forefront of these changes and are pleased to report that new business requests are increasing in early 2024 as more businesses look to drive change that will increase operations, save costs and protect workers and OT systems from threats. After the recent mining indaba in South Africa and our roadshows of several mining and heavy-duty companies early in the new year, we can say that demand for these solutions is already growing in Africa – although lack of awareness and concerns about costs remain obstacles.
African mines are, of course, under enormous pressure on many fronts, with port backlogs and cargo shedding adding to the burden. It’s important that they see real value early on in their journey to scalable and reliable connectivity. Therefore, our approach is to first conduct a comprehensive audit so that we can understand, analyze and leverage existing systems without reinventing the wheel. Enabling the Industry 4.0 revolution in the OT environment of heavy industries, improves the seamless integration of new OT solutions without compromising security and uptime requirements. It also shows improved turnaround times to successful outcomes from business-critical systems within the respective business ecosystem.
The benefits will be enormous as more mines and heavy industry follow an Industry 4.0 adoption model. The Syama mine in Mali is a good example of how integrated systems lead to significant savings and improved results. In 2015, Resolute Mining took over operations at Syama and turned it into the world’s first automated mine. Workers use a fiber-optic network connected to control centers above ground to manage and monitor all activities, from drilling site cleanup to mining, loading and hauling. Although the initial investment was steep, according to Brookings, the changes are expected to reduce mining costs by 30 percent and improve overall performance. The machines can run 22 hours a day and no time is lost due to shift changes.
The key is to do this more widely in both mining and heavy industries in Africa. Solution architecture should never be about simply adopting the latest and greatest new technology or application, but ensuring operational readiness across the entire organization. Part of taking the industry on this journey is raising awareness – many don’t yet fully understand how automation or OT fits into what they have – but once the benefits become clear, we’re seeing companies scrambling to integrate.
McKinsey estimates that innovations in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and the Internet of Things have the potential to save the mining sector an estimated $373 billion by 2025 by automating the operation of machinery, facilitating predictive maintenance, improving traceability, harnessing the power of real-time data and analytics and providing visibility across the value chain from mine to market. The problem is that global mining operations are up to 28% less productive than they were a decade ago, the report says.
ScienceDirect highlights that there are many moves worldwide to promote security using technology, supported by policy. For example, the Canadian government has set a plan to fully automate a mine in the northern region by 2050, which will be controlled remotely using satellite imagery. Canadian underground nickel miner Stobie already operates using automated machinery such as drills, scrapers and transport trucks, all controlled from a control room. Sweden has established the Grountecknik 2000 strategic plan, the main objective of which is to promote safety and productivity through automation in mining. The Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization is determined to achieve smart mining, especially in underground environments, to advance safety and production rates.
There is no doubt that this is a trend that we will see taking shape and becoming increasingly embedded in Africa in the coming years. Fortunately, we have the technology and expertise to do just that.
According Brookings, To unlock the full potential of Africa’s mineral-rich countries, mining companies and African governments must embrace Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies. Artificial intelligence (AI), automation and big data can help mining companies limit environmental damage, improve working conditions, reduce operating costs and boost productivity.
We believe that all this is possible for Africa, which is not behind the curve. In our view, the right OT governance architecture is a proactive intelligence platform that will add significant value at all levels in a mining or industrial operation. Unlocking key data from a central location and distributing it to whoever needs to use it to make the best decision for the business and its employees is the gold dust that will make Africa’s mines thrive. The only question is how quickly they press the “on” button.