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Journey to autonomous mining

Key trends and insights to know in 2022 and beyond
Mining is undergoing a radical
transformation driven primarily by two
disruptive trends: digitalization and
sustainability. Both are pushing the
boundaries of what was once thought
possible in the extractive industries,
towards a different way of operating.

Against this backdrop, automation and

digitalization are not a luxury, it is a
matter of survival.

By Marcos Hillal, Global Product Line Manager -

Automation & Digital for Mining, Aluminum and Cement
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The main challenges when automating mines today
Mines are becoming increasingly interconnected. Automation
and digitalization are the key enablers to ensure required level of
collaboration is made possible through the operations.

One of the ongoing challenges is how to break down silos of operations. These are not
only the traditional silos among operations technology (OT) and information technology
(IT), but rather the silos that still exist within the OT area. One evident silo is among the
process control team and the electrical operations team. When we think about a motor
for instance, this is an asset that ‘belongs’ to both teams. From the process control
perspective, the operator wants to turn it on/off, control its speed and monitor its
behaviors from an individual perspective. On the other hand, the electrical operator and
maintenance team wants to manage the asset from the perspective of electrical control,
monitoring how the asset is behaving, its relative consumption, and if it is healthy.

The same asset is being considered by different groups with different interests. Today,
we still see plants operating process and electrical control using two different systems,
across operations philosophy, look and feel and user experience. On top of that, different
systems require different engineering tools, external communications and additional
maintenance to keep them running properly.

The digital era demands collaboration and this type of mindset promotes the opposite.
4

3 tips for setting the basis of modern plant operations:

1 2 3
Install a single and modern DCS, such as
ABB Ability™ System 800xA, to serve as a
powerful OT integration platform that
connects the multiple automation streams
and consolidates data. In this way, the DCS
provides an integrated process and power
control environment in which to control
the plant in a safe and productive way,
promoting collaboration and avoiding
‘islands’ of automation.

Learn more
Make sure data can then flow seamlessly
to upper levels to be consumed by
production management solutions and
process optimization, based on advanced
on-premises solutions such as ABB Ability™
Operations Management System and ABB
Ability™ Genix Industrial Analytics and
AI Suite and promote the connection of
the full value chain, from Mine to Mill.

Learn more
Provide an attractive workplace
environment that appeals to the new
generation of talent. For this reason,
ABB invests in properly designing the
layout of control rooms so that they are fit
for purpose when it comes to operating
a critical industrial asset 24/7.

Learn more

Read ABB’s whitepaper:

“The DCS of Tomorrow”
Download now
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The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the trend towards
automation for safer operations
Remote connectivity and operation has been an important trend in mining for some time, due to
safety, declining ore resources and operational optimization. There has long been a focus on
minimizing unplanned and costly downtime through predicting the upcoming maintenance needs
of equipment, as well as managing labor, travel and electricity costs.

Companies have continued to invest in the digital On top of that, remote operations are a big trend
technologies that have enabled them to align in mining operations. Bringing operations closer
people, process, data and to achieve excellence to urban centers and centralizing the operation
and deliver safe, dependable, and profitable of multiple sites into intelligent operations Automated technologies are
production. Remote operations are a natural rooms helps to boost productivity and reduce
extension of the digital mine and the pandemic is
accelerating this move to remote-enabled
the costs, by allowing better usage of data and
benchmarking. To enable this open and powerful
transforming all facets of the
solutions and making them more established. internet of things (IoT) platforms, such as ABB
Ability™ Genix Industrial Analytics and AI Suite, mining industry, including
Remote data analysis and remote service are critical.
increasingly helped over the past 18 months as
international travel – flights and permit windows –
the profile of its workforce.
prevented and continue to prevent experts from Webinar on demand – Remote support
physically visiting sites. for mining operations: step up from
test runs into a long-term reality
A key remote capability is augmented reality (AR), Learn more
which overlays computer-generated information,
data, images, video or other content onto the
real-world environment through smart glasses or
mixed reality devices. This enables a field service
technician to share their view of a situation using
the device’s camera and communicate directly
with an expert via on-screen annotations, chat
and document sharing without that expert being
on site.

Watch now
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The future is electric: more electrical equipment means
more automation is required
The booming demand for goods and commodities such as nickel, lithium will influence mining
automation. For ABB the question is how we can help mine operators maximize the performance and
efficiency of the operation and enable them to make better decisions. The more electrical equipment
introduced to a mine, the greater the need and opportunity for digital and automated solutions.

These solutions are essential for handling the

different peaks added to the electricity grid
as result of fleet electrification. When diesel is
the sole energy source of a fleet, acceleration
and deceleration of vehicles does not affect
the grid. All-electric fleets bring in a challenge
unfamiliar to mine operators: constant shifts
in electricity demand, which can lead to
overloading of the grid and potentially a
blackout for the entire operation. An integrated
solution for continuous power and process
control can manage this issue.
The all-electric mines of the future will be
smart and sustainable, but innovations such
as hybrid trucks connected to trolley lines and
battery electric vehicles, both designed to
reduce emissions from heavily polluting diesel
engines, require additional supplies of reliable,
on-demand power.
ABB’s pilot eMine™ FastCharge
ABB has a lead role in the market with our recently powers. Ramping up the
launched ABB Ability™ eMine. eMine™ comprises speed and efficiency of
a purposeful approach, method and integrated the power supply keeps
portfolio of electrification and digital systems vehicle downtime during
designed to accelerate the decarbonization of the charging to a minimum,
mining sector. eMine™ includes the groundbreaking thus maximizing the
ABB Ability™ eMine FastCharge, the world’s process productivity.
fastest and most powerful charging system,
designed to interface with all makes of electric In addition, the ability to pump significantly larger
mining haul trucks. ABB Ability™ eMine FastCharge, amounts of energy into the vehicle battery in a
currently in pilot phase offering up to 600kW shorter timeframe means that operators can
of charge power, is based on open charge incorporate charging into their existing working
communication protocols and is the only fully cycles, in addition to leveraging the natural,
automated charging system for haul trucks. The process-imposed downtime of the BEV, and
system solution is designed modularly and is charging off-cycle.
future ready to accommodate higher charge Learn more
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Sharing data: the key to make automation
projects easier in mining
Data is the new gold, and without it, no one can really deliver a good automation and digital system
that brings value. Although data availability and openness has improved a lot in recent years, still today
we find some specific players that believe that holding data for their own use is the right strategy.
Fortunately, and thanks to a push from mine operators, this is becoming less common every day.

Progress Industry 4.0 with

University of Western Australia

A good example of collaboration is our

In terms of data standards and regulation, we
are seeing big improvements. In general, sharing
information is improving the ability to achieve
the level of digitalization that the world
now requires.
At ABB we are a strong believer of the open
communication and collaboration. Our DCS
solution, ABB Ability™ System 800xA is a widely
open platform, based on open standard
protocols of communications.
In the digital landscape, we base our solutions,
such as ABB Ability™ Operations Management
System, on standards such as ISA95, which
facilitates communication relating to the
equipment in mine operations.
engagement with the University of Western
Australia’s (UWA) new Energy & Resources
Digital Interoperability Industry 4.0 (ERDi i4.0)
TestLab, run by Enterprise Transformation
Partners (ETP), to advance Industry 4.0 open
process automation standards.
This project aims to develop and implement
interoperability standards for mine planning,
mine scheduling and execution so that equipment
and applications for mine operations become
‘plug and play’.

Learn more
8
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The role of digital twins
A digital twin can be described as a virtual counterpart of a
real-life physical object or process in real time.
In the context of the mining sector, digital twins
can be used for everything from material and
quality tracking to asset inventory monitoring –
in other words, they can address the whole value
chain from mine to port or market, and in a
variety of underground and surface mining
scenarios.
The digital twin then uses that real-time data,
simulations and even AI to help mine operators
make more informed, data-driven decisions
that optimize performance and drive genuine
business value.
Using digital twins in this way offers multiple
advantages. The virtual environment allows for
Digital twin of material handling chain
A compelling example of the usage of digital twin
concept is ABB Ability™ Stockyard Management
System, which enables real-time supervision,
planning, automated reporting and simulation of
bulk stockyards, and in doing so opens the door
to fully automated and autonomous operations.
the conducting of experiments that are non-
intrusive to the normal plant operation. These
experiments can be performed in a relatively
short time, with the possibility of testing extreme
operational conditions as well as different circuit
configurations. The result is that one can develop The use of a
a robust control strategy capable of dealing
with the vast array of possible scenarios that
digital twin with
can occur onsite. Advanced Process
Continually updating the simulation with real-
Control at Boliden Aitik mine
time information – from base-level controls such
as the distributed control system (DCS) via open Performance and benefits of
platform communications (OPC), for instance –
ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer, ABB’s
allows for more accurate APC, which in turn
translates to improved planning, scheduling advanced process control solution,
and productivity.
have been validated on a digital twin/
simulation model representing Aitik’s
grinding circuit, helping to develop
an optimal control strategy
ABB’s Stockyard Management System digitizes,
monitors, optimizes and even automizes
material handling operations. This gives Learn more
mining operators a much higher level of
situational awareness around their shift or
whole cycle operation, predominantly by
knowing exactly the material buffer status in
terms of utilization, available quantities, and
qualities, as well as potential blending or
ready-for-shipping capacities.
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ABB’s planning for an automation project
Inspired by the automotive industry, ABB has identified a taxonomy of mining autonomy comprising five
levels (there could still exist a sixth level that represents no automation in place, known as level 0).

Where are you in the digital journey?

From product to value chain focus

At the top level of this taxonomy is Level 5 where full autonomous for instance an electric self-driving mining vehicle for full
operation occurs in all situations. No user interaction is required and autonomous loading of the ore would carry major advantages
humans may be limited to a minimum. Today, this is aspirational, but of safety and productivity.
10
How can I get there?
It is very difficult to believe that
any operations can be competitive
in the global mining commodity
environment without relying on
a minimum level of automation
and control.
Fully autonomous operation is yet to be
achieved, but we can already see today some
global mining companies are paving the way
and operating at level 4 or close to it.
Not all customers need or aim to be at level 4
or 5. The key aspect is in fact to correctly
identify the challenges and constraints
of each project to determine the most
appropriate solution.
Collaborative Methods
We believe we can not achieve a real digital
No company can realize the autonomous vision
transformation by using the same old concepts
alone. Whatever your goals and priorities for
Industry 4.0 and beyond, ABB has built a
of Customer/Supplier relationship. Therefore
COLLABORATION is key. No single vendor can
framework to drive and manage the process and
solve your challenges alone. Therefore, we must
ensure your transition progresses smoothly. It’s
easy to get started with any of our co-creation
move from a transactional to a collaborative
relationship and really create an ecosystem of
modules and achieve your strategic targets faster.
partners to address your specific challenges.
And, before moving further, it is paramount to
Learn more
start a digital transformation plan by tackling
one of the most common bias we see out there in
the market.
 Concrete solutions
ABB supplies advanced libraries and software
that enable modern mines to maximize visibility,
reliability, productivity and energy efficiency and
optimize performance across the enterprise.
ABB's mining software applications - part of the
digital portfolio ABB Ability™ MineOptimize - rely
ABB Ability™ MineOptimize
on advanced libraries and software solutions to
reduce process complexity. The standardized ABB developed the concept of ABB Ability™
and proven application building blocks for
MineOptimize. It is a four-pillar framework
digitalization in mining ensure that integrated
systems reach their full potential and deliver that integrates individual mining solutions into
sustainable profitability.
a secure and structured plant-wide system.

This approach offers mine operators a suite

ABB’s enabling solutions of digitally connected solutions, products
and services that ensure the right people

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ABB Ability™ System 800xA
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12

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Open pit or underground:
There is no one solution that fits all.
Each mine is unique and has its own advantages and disadvantages. Open pit and underground
bring different challenges, but both are equally complex projects to work on.

Ventilation on demand in underground mines:

allow a proper and safe operation. By knowing the
location of the people and equipment associated
with the production plan and the measurement
of the air quality, this solution can lead to up to
50 percent less energy consumption to run a
ventilation system in underground mines.

Learn more

A challenge that is common to both

underground and open pit mines, is planning
correct and efficient mine operations. ABB
Ability™ Operations Management System
promotes short interval control as a holistic
discipline, integrating data from multiple system,
from short term planning tools to maintenance
management systems, to provide a single digital
platform and enables improved responsiveness
to unplanned events and reduces production
variability through all the mine stages. It helps
mine operators and planners make better
decisions faster ensuring ongoing operation
of the mine and increased productivity.
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Conclusion

Digitalization and sustainability: two trends that will continue

to drive innovation in mining. The answer to that needs to come
from a collaborative approach. A partnership between the
trusted technology partner with proven domain experience and
mine operator, to embrace new technologies that optimize
productivity, sustainability and, ultimately, profitability.

Nobody can predict what the future will look like, but one thing
is for sure. The journey towards the all-electric, digitalized and
sustainable mine is on the way, and the increased automation
and electrification that comes with it is happening. There is no
turning back.
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Taking the next step:
Download the eBook to see how ABB’s digital solutions are
supporting the journey towards autonomous mine

Download eBook