By Sharyn Macnamara
Join African Mining on an excursion into the future of mining. Ahsan Mahboob, DigiMine Laboratory head, discusses two new research themes – embarked on in collaboration with a range of industry stakeholders to develop real-world solutions for mining, and other industries.
The best way to predict the future is to create it. Image supplied by Wits Mining Institute
Academia is intrinsically entwined with all industries, on so many levels. From both a human capital and a Research and Development (R&D) viewpoint, among others – considering the current shortage of skills (both existing and new) and the requirements for a global green, decarbonised future – academia has a vital role to play. The alliance between tertiary institutions and business is essential to shape a future for mining with a lasting positive impact on our planet.
New research themes for shared value – for good
DigiMine Laboratory head, Ahsan Mahboob. Image supplied by Wits Mining Institute
To this end, the research undertaken at the Sibanye-Stillwater Digital Mining Laboratory (DigiMine) involves deep partnerships with commercial and industry entities. This is a state-of-the-art and one-of-a-kind laboratory at the Wits Mining Institute at the University of the Witswatersrand in Gauteng. The lab’s goal since its official inauguration in 2018 has been to make mining safer and more sustainable, using digital technologies.
With Ahsan Mahboob leading a highly skilled team, researchers at DigiMine conduct R&D and seek innovation to transfer surface digital technologies into the underground mining environment. In collaboration with industry stakeholders, the team has developed two new research themes for 2023, the building of which started in 2019 when Mahboob says, “We realised that in the coming years, the mining industry would find itself in a green digital era with two vital roles to play: one – to provide the mineral resources required for a carbon neutral future; and two – in parallel, mining would need to transform the way in which things are done to minimise the industry’s impact on the environment with its current contribution towards carbon emissions in mind, and to improve its overarching reputation in society.” This thought process led to research theme one – ‘green energy minerals and technology.’
The origins of DigiMine’s research theme two –‘cybersecurity’ – emerged during COVID-19 and the impetus for it grew after the outbreak of Russia-Ukraine war with the hike in the number of cyber- attacks across industries globally. “There was a dire need to come up with a robust framework and solutions for a pro-active approach to avert cyber-attacks targeted at the mining industry specifically,” explains Mahboob.
The research cycle
The University of the Witwatersrand has a rich background in conducting research on green minerals and cybersecurity across different industries, including the mining and extractive industries. DigiMine does not work in isolation: the university – particularly now with the creation of its Innovation Hub in collaboration with Sibanye-Stillwater – is enabling a space to create, collaborate and engage in impactful innovation, across disciplines. “DigiMine is not aiming to replicate or replace the existing industry research efforts. Instead, our focus is to provide additional layers of research that will aid mining companies in identifying and prioritising their projects and areas of concern,” notes Mahboob.
The research cycle supports this objective. After devising the themes in the first phase of the cycle, exploration of the potential challenges and issues within the scope of each theme creates the research topics, and these are determined through second-phase brainstorming sessions with mining companies, tech partners and multi-disciplinary academic researchers across industries. The third phase is to select a new cohort of postgraduate students with extensive exposure to research related to these themes, to be trained. Tech partners – including suppliers of technology within the sphere of research – are then sourced in a fourth phase, which is followed by optimisation and customisation of sponsored solutions, in turn, followed by deployment at a mine site where testing will take place.1 The final phase in the process is the possible commercialisation of the solutions currently under investigation, with two possible levels of IP management – the background research IP and foreground tech solution IP. The outcomes of the full research cycle aim to benefit sponsors, by collaborating tech partners and the broader mining industry.
At the time of the discussion with Mahboob at the end of May 2023, DigiMine was in the process of selecting the two MSc students per theme to conduct the core research for one to three years, before matured research is handed over through PHD students to industry – with another key goal in mind of building human capital for the mining industry. Monthly internal laboratory feedback sessions and regular steercom meetings with funders, like Sibanye-Stillwater and tech partners, as well as industry experts (who continually feedback to students on progress) are all part of the management process, which guides the research to closure.
Funding, managing industry expectations and access to quality real-time operational data are all key ingredients to making the end results of this research cycle work optimally for industry, says Mahboob. Research is time-sensitive and must not be compared with the work of consultancies, and DigiMine relies heavily on collaboration with its partners within the industry to achieve success.
Sibanye-Stillwater DigiMine at the Wits Mining Institute, at the University of the Witswatersrand in Gauteng. Image supplied by Wits Mining Institute
Theme 1: Green energy minerals and technology
Building a comprehensive SA green minerals database: Digital mapping of green energy minerals to create a comprehensive database of their properties and locations in South Africa is a topic within this first theme. DigiMine is part of the Wits Mining Institute, which in turn, is part of the appointed industry advisory board with representation from government, development organisations, industry and academia in this space. The findings of this theme will therefore be fed back to the national system and all stakeholders, says Mahboob. He points out that “this information will be crucial not just for mining companies, but for the banking sector, energy investors and government departments for planning and implementing renewable energy projects, as it will enable the identification of the best locations for solar, wind and geothermal energy installations in the country.”
He explains that the database will also potentially be made accessible to the general public, which will increase public awareness of green energy resource opportunities and encourage communities and stakeholders to support renewable energy initiatives. Furthermore, according to Mahboob, the findings of this particular study will allow future government policy to perhaps give those areas of source first priority when it comes to the initiation of projects and installation of plants to process those particular minerals in the regions in which they are mined – to support the economy in those areas, and to allow those communities to directly benefit from mined minerals in their region. To get the full benefit of the energy generated by these minerals from these renewables, it will of course depend on local climate among other considerations in those locations – the research will draw those correlations.
When it comes to geothermal energy opportunities within the country, there has not been much research to date, due to South Africa’s stable geology. However, DigiMine has picked up a trend in the focus of research to find suitable locations for geothermal installations and renewables. For instance, the Council for Geoscience is conducting extensive research to identify potential geothermal energy sources – the first is Tshipise hot spring in Limpopo, while a second source has been found in the Karoo Basin in Eastern Cape.
“This geothermal energy is not currently suitable to produce electricity at a national level. However, from a mining industry perspective, it is relevant as there are some low-grade temperature sources found deep underground, which could provide enough energy to heat homes in a local community or could be converted into a source of electricity for agriculture or for the mining operation itself. Our focus on this research will be to identify the range of potential of this low-grade geothermal energy and to identify cost effective tech solutions to help convert the heat into an energy that can be utilised more readily.” Put in laymen’s terms: “Imagine that you have a very hot reservoir somewhere into which a pipe (made of a substrate that cannot be burned) is inserted to transport cold water through the heat to emerge at the other end in the form of steam and hot water – which, using inverters, can be used as energy to create electricity.”
Carbon footprint mapping: A second topic within theme one lies in the study of the application of Satellite Remote Sensing and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), based on smart sensors for carbon footprint mapping and estimation. Mahboob explains that this research will explore technologies with the ability to supply accurate and reliable data to be utilised to identify areas of high carbon emissions and prioritise mitigation strategies for mining operations. Integrating satellite remote sensing and IIoT sensors could help mining companies comply with government regulations and international carbon emission requirements, and ultimately strengthen the mining industry reputation to attract new investors in the long term.
“There is potential for significant impact of this tech in pro- actively and more effectively managing carbon emissions,” says Mahboob. Although remote sensing is not a new technology – the agricultural, disaster response and civil construction sectors use this technology on a daily basis – in the South African context, the technology is accessible but not yet ready. He expands, “Due to recent advancements in remote sensing, particularly through the United States Geological Survey’s satellite missions, and most recently the European Union’s Consortium on satellite remote sensing, several satellites have been launched from which one can retrieve the open-source data set, which basically has taken the cost out of equation. However, the resolution of the data set is not good enough to make informed decisions, but it is it is good enough to give one a hotspot of the problem areas.”
DigiMine has therefore used satellite data, and in collaboration with the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Sciences at Wits, researchers are pro-actively building advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to convert this big data into information to be used by decision makers. Remote sensing can monitor gasses emitted such as methane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, and supply carbon emission footprints. Mahboob adds, “As a matter of fact, DigiMine has initiated research to monitor air quality, not only through the satellite warehouse, but also through advanced sensors that we will place around tailings storage facilities. So, we will be able to monitor dust and carbon emissions and linking this back to the satellite data to use this point information to calibrate the satellite data. Once calibrated, satellites supply data at regular intervals and one could receive data on daily basis.”
The big advantage will be that once the mining industry has this information available on a dashboard, they could ‘realistically’ measure and monitor what they are contributing to these emissions. Right now, however, Mahboob says, it is a grey area and the mining industry having been linked with these emissions, pays the price in reputation and carbon taxes despite a lack of measured quantification. “The tech is there, but much work is needed to refine the current data to make it more user-friendly,” says Mahboob.
Digital twin design and development: DigiMine is also invested in the design and development of digital twin tech – a virtual representation of a physical system, object or phenomenon that can be used to monitor, analyse and optimise operational efficiency using real-time datasets – to enable digital decarbonisation. As most of the mining companies are already investing in renewable energy, it is also very important to optimise mining operations and processes, says Mahboob. The focus of the research is to develop the digital twin which has the potential to contribute significantly to the decarbonisation of the mining industry by optimising energy consumption, processes, equipment, emissions monitoring and supply chain operations. By utilising the power of data analytics, simulation and optimisation, digital twins can assist mining companies in making more sustainable decisions and reducing their carbon footprint, thereby contributing to a greener and more sustainable mining industry.
Developing a CCUS framework: Another focal point for the laboratory is the development and evaluation of a comprehensive framework for potential carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) with the aim to provide huge benefits for both the industry and the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering operational costs, improving safety, creating new revenue streams and enhancing positive public perception. The research will focus on the potential application of technologies for the CCUS.
“Carbon emissions are immediately reduced in capturing the carbon, and so too, carbon taxes are reduced and the goal for carbon neutrality and meeting industry regulations and ICMM guidelines can be achieved,” says Mahboob. “Mixed minerals carbonate research is currently taking place. When one exposes several minerals to carbon dioxide, mineral carbonates are produced, and these can be used in many applications – the first being in tailings storage facilities. By exposing mineral carbonates to the tailings or waste, one can permanently store carbon in those particular areas. The second is chemical feedstock – carbon dioxide can be used to produce chemicals, like methanol, glycoland other biodiesels and bio-oils. For instance, the construction sector is already using carbon dioxide in concrete to replace cement. Carbon dioxide is directly injected into the concrete mixture creating a strong, durable substrate, which ultimately could be used underground to strength infrastructure long term.”
Furthermore, mining often encounters methane gas, which – mixed with captured carbon – can produce less harmful products. Captured carbon can be sold to other industries as well, thereby creating a new revenue stream. “The big question remains: how can we store that carbon in underground mines, once mining is complete – safely? And that is what we aim to answer.”
Theme 2: Cybersecurity
This theme was born in 2019 and, both then and now, Mahboob maintains that the concept of a“cyber-attack” has some very vague definitions and the perception of an attack can vary from operation to operation, and department to department – from the likes of a spam e-mail through to a very serious data breach, or accessibility to machines in an automated process where one may be met with a machine denial to do a certain job, with far-reaching safety and production bottle-neck consequences. Data breaches are of particular concern to the mining industry with links to potential reputational damage, should things go wrong in an attack.
DigiMine’s research will therefore focus on: creating a comprehensive framework for mapping elements that are at risk of cyber-attacks in the mining industry; to thoroughly understanding critical vulnerabilities; to prevention of incidents by traversing the path of a potential breach; and lastly to recommending and analysing remediation solutions that go beyond patching in order to secure the mining industry with proactive cybersecurity measures.
This will include the development of a Cyber Threat Intelligence System. Cyber threat intelligence is information that is collected, evaluated and disseminated regarding potential cyber-attacks that could harm an organisation’s information system, network or infrastructure. The research will focus on developing comprehensive cyber threat intelligence systems to assist mining companies in identifying, prioritising and responding to cyber-attacks in a pro- active way.
Standardisation of rules and regulations regarding cybersecurity is another vital area of focus, says Mahboob. Several international organisations, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Center for Internet Security (CIS) and Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), have developed cybersecurity standards and regulations. Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 and Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020 are also available at the national level to address cybersecurity-related issues. “In spite of this, there is an urgent need to evaluate the applicability of these standards in the mining industry due to its unique and complex operations,” says Mahboob. Therefore, the primary focus of the DigiMine research within this second theme will be on the standardisation of cybersecurity regulations, as they apply to mining operations.
“This research will have significant impact in terms of governance,” Mahboob adds. The current regulation in South Africa, is a cyber policy framework that was developed in 2015. It is not specific to mining industry but is a general framework to mitigate cyber risks. He explains, “Our approach will be to work with the existing standards and to map these local and international standards against the requirements of the industry in order to highlight the gaps. These gaps will feed back to the national government agencies, international agencies (like the ICMM, having just released guidelines in this respect) and other relevant departments for consideration.”
Skills Mapping for Cybersecurity is also of utmost importance in our research, says Mahboob. DigiMine’s scope of research in this area will focus on identifying, mapping and developing a comprehensive framework for the skills necessary for building a digital immune system for the mining industry in this fairly new and unknown territory, which poses a very real threat to the mining industry. Before 2019, securing IT security funds from the annual budgets of mining companies was one of the biggest challenges in the fight against cybersecurity incidents. It is Mahboob’s opinion that finding talent with the requisite security skills will be the greatest challenge in 2023 and onwards.
The best way to predict the future is to create it – academia plays an important role in this process and its contribution cannot be overstated – both in skills development and on the R&D front.
| Since 2013, the benefits of the alliance between business and academia has been showcased in the relationship between Wits and Sibanye-Stillwater. The mining company has enabled over 500 students to study at Wits by providing bursaries and allowances amounting to R19.4-million. In addition, the group has contributed R68.5-million in funding for the DigiMine, with a further R5-million committed for 2023, and has donated R50- million worth of technical equipment to the FEBE (which houses the School of Mining Engineering, the Wits Mining Institute and the Sibanye-Stillwater DigiMine, amongst others).
This ensures that academia maintains a pipeline of academically excellent researchers, postdoctoral academics and professionals who are fit for purpose in the industry. “The Sibanye-Stillwater Wits partnership symbolises the fusion of industry and academia, as we join forces to shape the future of mining… It is a commitment to the shared values of excellence, integrity and collaboration,” says Neal Froneman, CEO of Sibanye- Stillwater. |
| Other projects on the go:
The Mine Health and Safety Council (MHSC) is also in partnership with DigiMine, funding the lab’s building of an underground navigating drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system. DigiMine’s work has global significance too. Currently in partnership with the European Union, the laboratory has recently secured funding for a new project. There are 22 partners – 21 from Europe, and DigiMine. The laboratory is collaborating with these partners in the development of an AI-powerd chatbot – a 24/7 community engagement platform. This solution will allow mining communities to interact with mine management in near-real-time. |
References:
- Go to https://africanmining.co.za/2022/09/01/sa-maseve-test- mine-a-breakthrough-for-innovation-and-rd/ for more on industry efforts to establish a test mine at Maseve Mine through an MoU signed between the Mandela Mining Precinct (MMP) with Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) through the CSIR and Minerals Council South Africa.
- MEDIA RELEASE: Bridging the gap between mining and people – unveiling of the Wits Sibanye-Stillwater Innovation