By Ralf Hennecke, managing director of BME
As sustainability becomes a pressing priority for mining, the sector has committed to some ambitious goals for 2030 – but reaching them will need all players to work together even more closely.
Ralf Hennecke, managing director of BME. All images supplied by BME
With its theme of future-proofing the minerals industry in Africa, the Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town this year is once again squarely focused on environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters. The field of ESG becomes steadily more challenging and complex, demanding the increased focus not only of mining companies but of every partner in the supply chain.
Driven by global standards and national legislation, ESG compliance now has implications well beyond the mine gate – and mining supply partners have been making their contribution for many years already. This has led to considerable progress in, for instance, making mining more inclusive. Companies across the value chain have applied initiatives to broaden procurement, to facilitate internal and external skills development, and to build local communities and economies.
Aligning with industry’s ESG focus
Technology and equipment have advanced to allow mines to reduce their environmental impact – from water management and biodiversity to energy efficiency and carbon emissions. As technology partners, our solutions must be designed with our customers’ ESG targets in mind, in addition to our own.
BME is a proud member of Omnia Holdings, and we align ourselves with Omnia’s core purpose of ‘innovating to enhance life, together creating a greener future’. We actively promote this imperative internally and raise awareness through various forums like the Mining Indaba. Today, for instance, Omnia executive: Strategy, Capital Allocation and M&A, Glen Heinrich will be part of a panel discussion on ‘Sustainable Investment: Catalyst or Constraint for Mining Development?’ Also, yesterday, BME General Manager for Technology and Marketing Nishen Hariparsad was a panelist in the session on ‘The role of technology in building and undermining sustainability in African mining’.
A controlled blast using BME’s AXXIS initiation system.
Emissions and energy efficiency
In the operational sphere of blasting and explosives, we continue advancing our own ESG initiatives in alignment with industry priorities. Key among these are net zero carbon commitments, for example, which mines cannot achieve on their own – as their carbon footprints are calculated not only from their own emissions (Scope 1) but from their supply chain (Scope 2 and 3).
In South Africa especially, where grid electricity is mainly coal-fired, the reduction of energy consumption is a direct path to lowering carbon footprints. Our innovations, from emulsions to electronic initiation systems, empower mines to achieve significant energy savings while meeting stringent environmental standards.
Some of our most well-known technological advancements have been in the field of electronic detonation, which has enhanced efficiencies considerably. A benefit of our AXXIS™ technology, for instance, is to enhance blasting precision and efficiency. AXXIS™ Titanium® is the latest generation system that supports larger, more controlled blasts, reducing the frequency of interruptions and streamlining operations. This streamlines energy consumption, and also contributes to better rock fragmentation, which reduces energy demands in subsequent loading and crushing phases.
Additionally, BME’s Blastmap™III blast planning software further enhances mines’ ability to optimise blasting outcomes – with further impacts on energy efficiency through reduced fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions across the mining process.
An indirect reduction in carbon emissions comes from our manufacturing facilities. Solar energy powers many of our plants, for example, while our dual salt emulsions can be produced at lower temperatures – thus reducing our energy consumption.
BME sustainable dual salt emulsions.
Water quality
Mining’s ESG imperatives include the protection of water quality, and mines’ supply partners need to contribute here too. A serious water contamination risk in any industry is related to the disposal of used oil, and BME plays an important role by using recycled oil in our emulsions.
Through this process, we effectively remove millions of litres of potentially hazardous waste from the market annually. This prevents water and soil contamination while promoting a circular economy. The company also supports local economies through this initiative, partnering with small businesses to collect and deliver recycled oil.
It is clear that the various individual entities in the mining ecosystem will struggle to meet industry benchmarks if they do not have all their stakeholders pulling in the same direction. Such targets need the necessary environmental technology to be developed and applied, and we are pleased to be playing our part in these endeavours.