Innovation and Modernization of the South African Mining Industry

摘要

In June 2016, the Southern Africa Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) held a colloquium in Johannesburg South Africa of which the the purpose was to create a dialogue between industry, government, research institutes and academia in the area of new technology and innovation. One of the key findings presented at the colloquium was the Chamber of Mines (COM) study indicating that the South African gold reserves dependent upon conventional mining methods will be depleted by 2031 with Platinum Group Metals (PGM) reserves signaling a similar fate.The South African industry considers mechanization, automation and continuous mining operations as critical to extend gold reserves beyond 2046 or in the case of PGMs to 2042. To date, mechanization, automation and continuous mining in the gold and platinum environments has had limited success in the South African mining industry, generally achieving lower than planned productivity at higher than budgeted costs. Thus, the development of innovative mining systems based on new technology is critical for the continuance of the South African mining industry.This paper discusses the strategies and research initiatives required to support a mining industry beyond 2040 and investigates the role that innovation will play in sustaining a mining industry that is currently in decline.