BY MITSUI & CO

 

AUSTRALIA has a rich and diverse history in commodities, and as the industry evolves the role of technology is increasingly pivotal to driving greater productivity and competitiveness.

 

At Mitsui & Co. (Australia) we have been investing in Australia’s resources sector since the 1960s. In that time, we have witnessed the ups and downs of global economic cycles while also simultaneously watching the resilience of the Australian mining sector. As we look to the future we are most excited about the profound changes and transformations made possible through innovation and technology.

Just a decade ago it would have been hard to predict that the ‘digital mine’ would see autonomous trucks, trains and drones operating across Australian mine sites.

Over the last five years we have seen developments in technology take leaps and bounds.  Concepts such as the Internet of Things and machine-to-machine communication now have the ability to control and optimise entire systems, rather than just individual devices. For Australia’s mining industry, accessibility to new technologies has the potential to not only increase productivity but also enhance competitiveness and cement Australia’s position on the global stage.

Already we are seeing significant innovation in an industry embracing new technologies to drive greater productivity. In fact, recent analysis by PwC[1] estimates that new technologies and asset optimisation tools could help companies reduce maintenance costs by 20-40 percent, reduce capital expenses by between 5-10 percent and increase asset utilisation by up to 20 percent, while also improving overall environmental and health safety.

At Mitsui we seek to create opportunities out of change and for Australia’s mining industry, the accessibility of new technologies presents an opportunity for meaningful, long-term industry transformation.

 

New Opportunities: safety, productivity and innovation

Through our global network and partnerships, Mitsui is in a unique position to see some of the industry’s newest innovations and technology solutions.

 

Two new technologies which we are particularly excited about are the emergence of crash-proof drones and kinetic mesh wireless networks.

 

A new US based start-up company, which saw investment from the likes of Google Gradient Ventures and Telstra Ventures, has created an online cloud platform that enables users to use their laptop to connect to crash-proof physical drones located thousands of kilometres away.

The technology from this company (Cape Productions) means that drones can now be flown safely and easily – with ultralow latency controls and high-resolution video – without the operator having to physically touch any drone hardware. The beauty of this technology is that the software enables drones to be easily flown by someone with limited flying knowledge and who may be working in an office offsite.  For mining industries around the world, the emergence of this type of technology makes monitoring equipment, stock piles and the mines themselves a less labour- and time-intensive task.

Taking into account Australia’s vast terrain, future accessibility to this type of technology will assist the Australian mining and energy sectors to create more efficiencies while also developing a greater real time understanding of their assets.

In addition to improving productivity, we are seeing mining sites who now have the ability to seamlessly connect people, equipment, infrastructure, vehicles and other critical devices through IoT systems.  This connectivity allows mining sites to not only work more efficiently but helps to improve fleet management and as a result, overall site safety.

Another new technology we are excited about is the emergence of and improvements to wireless networks. We have partnered with a US wireless network infrastructure provider, Rajant, who have created Kinetic Mesh wireless networks.

These networks are used to provide a dynamic wireless infrastructure that can move and adapt as mining operations change or expand. Kinetic Mesh wireless networks work through the installation of BreadCrumb nodes installed across a mine site on existing infrastructure and buildings as well as mobile assets like mining equipment and vehicles. The nodes can communicate with any Wi-Fi or Ethernet activated device to effectively connect all types of mine sites.

Unlike traditional meshing technologies that rely on a single stationary controller to make decisions across the network, each node in a Kinetic Mesh network can make these decisions independently. Of particular use to deep open cut mines, the unbreakable network allows nodes to decide which other node to connect to, based on available frequencies, signal strength, throughput, latency and any applicable local interference.

Implementing innovative technologies, like crash-proof drones or Kinetic Mesh network, are critical steps to ensuring the future of Australia’s mining and resources industries. Digital effectiveness is now an imperative for mining companies worldwide, with EY ranking it the number one business risk facing mining and metals in 2017-2018[2].

As we strive towards greater efficiencies and the need for reliable data grows, embracing new technologies and connecting existing systems will be a critical enabler for the mining industry to improve productivity, safety and remain competitive in an increasingly complex landscape.

 

 

[1] PwC, ‘Stop. Think… Act – Mine 2017

[2] Ernst & Young, ‘Top 10 business risks facing mining and metals 2017-2018’

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