Global mining major Anglo American gave a glimpse of its futuristic Mine 2030 vision as it provided a R9-million funding underpin for Wits University in South Africa's world-first mine design laboratory.
Anglo Chairman's Fund chairperson Norman Mbazima, who spoke to Mining Weekly Online on the sidelines of the official opening of the impressive new Wits facility, says that Anglo is targeting safe automated mining that is highly efficient and environmentally friendly.
"Our Mine of 2030 will seek to move as many people as possible out of harm's way," says Mbazima says, who lauds Wits for offering a design laboratory that has 100 networked personal computers and that projects data on to large floor-to-ceiling motorised screens that provide full lecturer/student interaction.
Anglo group head of mining Bill Abel tells Mining Weekly Online that the company is studying the advanced form that mining should take in 20 years' time.
"Our vision is to be a fully automated, zero-impact organisation," Abel adds.
He says that all the technology required already exists and needs to be configured in order to work cost effectively.
Alternative energy solutions are being examined to eliminate carbon footprints, with one Anglo mine studying the potential use of two kinds of solar energy.
Wits school of mining head Professor Fred Cawood says that the laboratory has been established to create "the next generation of mining engineers", who will be designing "the mine of the future" that is not only economically sound, but also environmentally responsible and good for health and safety.
"This is where the mine design action is going to take place," says Cawood.
Mining engineering undergraduate and postgraduate student numbers are standing at more than 3 800.
"There is no other mine design facility like this anywhere else in the world. We can accommodate up to 200 students at a time here," says Wits lecturer Bekir Genc, who project managed the building of the lab.
"Students numbers have been continuously increasing and we have had to repeat courses in the past because of the limited number of personal computers," Genc adds.
With 32 ceiling speakers allowing audible student/lecturer communication across a 500 m2 area, students now have arguably the best mine design lab in the world to do their capstone mine-design projects.
Wits vice chancellor Professor Loyiso Nongxa says that the university has an obligation to produce intellectual capital that is required by those investing in mining on the continent of Africa.
"This facility will help us to achieve that mission," Nongxa adds.
In the last three years, the private sector has invested a total of R50-million in the expansion of what is South Africa's oldest school of mining engineering, with sizeable contributions from Gold Fields, Xstrata and the London Metals Exchange.
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