South African mines risk losing competitiveness if they delay the integration of electrification, automation and digital technologies as mining operations globally become more advanced, says ABB South Africa. ABB process industries division local business line manager Charl Marais said mining companies need to start planning how they would move towards more connected operations instead of introducing technology on a piecemeal basis.He said some mines were still operating with separate systems that were not connected, limiting the benefits they could get from the technology they had already invested in.“What we see is that customers don’t necessarily have a proper plan or a proper roadmap of how they’re going to transform from an additional mine to the mine of the future,” Marais said.Marais said the lack of integration could leave mines with what ABB calls “islands of automation”, where individual systems operate separately rather than sharing information across an operation.He said mines were often reluctant to spend more money on smart capabilities for electrical equipment because of the upfront cost, even though connected systems could provide information that helps with maintenance and operational efficiency. According to Marais, integrating systems can also help mines manage their energy consumption more effectively.For example, information from different parts of a mine can allow operators to adjust energy-intensive processes to reduce peak demand. This can include co-ordinating systems such as hoisting and grinding operations.He said the benefit was not limited to a particular part of the mining operation.“The true value lies in interconnecting these, the different parts of your plant or your operation,” he said.According to Marais, ABB is also seeing greater adoption of digital systems, including energy management, manufacturing execution systems and ventilation-on-demand technology.He said these systems could provide mines with greater visibility over their operations and help them use energy more efficiently.He said ABB’s digital solutions could also be used with automation systems from other suppliers, allowing mines with different technologies to connect their systems to a digital platform.Marais warned that the competitiveness gap could widen if South African mines do not begin their transformation. He pointed to Sweden, where some mines are already operating autonomously with much smaller workforces.“We do risk, in the sense of competitiveness, because you are falling behind further and further, and you don’t get the operational efficiency that you could have gotten from more advanced systems, a higher level of automation and a higher level of digitalisation,” he said.The concern is echoed by independent research. According to reports, a benchmarking study presented at Minerals Council South Africa’s Mining Modernisation Showcase in August found South Africa ranked last out of 10 countries assessed for mining modernisation best practice, with a related survey showing most local mining firms remain technology adopters rather than innovators, hampered by gaps in governance, skills and research infrastructure.However, Marais said South Africa still had an advantage due to the mining industry’s willingness to adopt new technologies.He said companies did not need to transform their operations all at once but needed to develop a roadmap and start implementing technology within their budgets.The shift towards automation is also expected to change the skills required in mining, with greater demand for workers who can operate and manage digital systems.Marais said the industry would need to increase productivity while dealing with skills shortages and pressure to reduce the environmental impact of mining.He said electrification and automation would increasingly form part of efforts to reduce reliance on diesel and improve operational efficiency.Business Day