Mining

Navigating mining decarbonisation (Image source: Adobe Stock)

As global scrutiny intensifies, mining companies are faced with a seemingly insurmountable task; ensuring their environmental, social and governance (ESG) pledges translate into measurable and sustainable impact

The above is also echoed by the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) which emphasises: “ESG is not only a responsible approach to business but a strategic imperative for long-term success.”

Cecil Maartens, account manager, MMM Segment for SSA at Schneider Electric, notes this urgency is being driven by a convergence of forces: “Mining companies are facing simultaneous pressure from investors, regulators and customers to reduce carbon emissions while improving operational resilience.

“Scope 1 & 2 emissions, direct from the source we own and indirect from energy we buy are increasingly tied to financing, permitting and even market access,” he says.

This move is fundamentally reshaping how mining organisations operate. Decarbonisation is strategic, evolving beyond its former compliance tick-box status. “Companies that can demonstrate lower emissions and stronger sustainability credentials are the ones that will attract capital and partnerships,” says Maartens.

The real differentiator lies in execution and, encouragingly, many mining houses are moving beyond ambition, actively embedding decarbonisation into their operational strategies.

Maartens cites examples within the sector where dedicated sustainability teams are aligning decarbonisation roadmaps with enterprise asset management and operational KPIs. “ESG roadmaps are now integrated into core business performance metrics, with accountability at senior levels.”

A similar transition is also underway in energy-intensive industries such as steel and other materials processing.

Sibongile Thobakgale, KAM Strategic, MMM for SSA at Schneider Electric highlights that sectors like steel, cement and glass are experiencing comparable pressures. “These industries are among the most carbon-intensive globally, and decarbonisation is being driven by regulatory requirements, market expectations and rapid technological advancements,” she says.

Technology enables low-carbon mining

Across mining and heavy industry, technology is playing a central role in enabling low-carbon operations.

However, as the adage goes “start at the very beginning, a very good place to start”, it is also important to understand the current state of operation. Here, Maartens reckons, digital maturity assessments and energy baselining allow organisations to identify inefficiencies and prioritise interventions.

From there, integrated platforms can bring together energy management, automation and real-time operational data to drive continuous improvement.

“Digitalisation is critical as it enables mining companies to model energy consumption, simulate different electrification scenarios and quantify the impact of renewable integration before making large-scale investment,” says Maartens.

On the ground, this translates into a range of practical interventions. Hybrid microgrids, supported by battery energy storage systems, are helping mines integrate renewable energy while maintaining reliability.

Also, electrification initiatives and more energy-efficient equipment, such as advanced variable speed drives (low harmonic-enabled VSDs), are also contributing to reduced consumption.

At the same time, asset lifecycle management engagement processes and approaches, intelligent IB (Installed Base) audits and assessments and understanding asset and reliability management including retrofits and eco-fits are extending asset lifecycle while lowering environmental impact.

Thobakgale adds that in broader industrial contexts, automation is also evolving to support decarbonisation. “Software-defined automation is improving process efficiency and reliability, particularly in energy-intensive operations. This is essential forvmaintaining productivity while reducing emissions,’’ she notes.

The growing role of advisory services

While technology is a critical enabler, both Maartens and Thobakgale emphasise that successful decarbonisation requires a structured, strategic approach, an area where advisory services are becoming increasingly important.

“Sustainability assessments and services like Schneider Electric SE Electrification Advisory Services help companies quantify their emissions, benchmark performance and identify the most effective pathways forward,” says Thobakgale. “It also plays an important role in unlocking capital and ensuring compliance with evolving regulations.”

These services go beyond one-off evaluations. Instead, they form part of an ongoing process of monitoring, optimisation and alignment with long-term ESG goals. “Decarbonisation is not a once-off project. It’s a journey that requires ongoing measurement, adaptation and improvement across the entire value chain creating and ensuring long-term strategic partnership” adds Maartens.

Looking ahead, ESG considerations are set to play an even more decisive role in shaping the future of mining. Both Maartens and Thobakgale agree that sustainability will increasingly influence investment decisions, operational strategies and industry dynamics.

“Capital will flow towards companies that can demonstrate credible decarbonisation pathways,” says Thobakgale. “Those that delay ESG integration risk losing competitiveness and access to funding.”

Read more:

Tharisa advances connected mining operations

Exxaro expands Matla coal operations

Kumba accelerates mines with renewable energy partnership

Tharisa Minerals and Datacentrix deploy Africa’s first RADWIN FiberinMotion solution for connected mining operations. (Image source: Tharisa)

As mining companies across Africa intensify their digital transformation efforts, dependable wireless connectivity is emerging as a critical requirement for enabling real-time operations, telemetry and safer, more productive mining environments

In response to these demands, Tharisa Minerals and Datacentrix have partnered to deploy Africa’s first RADWIN FiberinMotion wireless network solution, establishing a scalable digital platform for connected mining operations.

The deployment has transformed Tharisa Minerals’ open-pit mining operation in South Africa into a more connected and data-driven environment. Tharisa, an integrated resource group supporting the global energy transition and decarbonisation agenda, operates the Tharisa Mine in South Africa’s North West province. The open-pit platinum group metals (PGM) and chrome mine is situated on the western limb of the Bushveld Complex, an area containing more than 70% of the world’s platinum and chrome resources.

The project began when Tharisa’s chief information officer, Paul Collins, approached Datacentrix to address a growing operational challenge faced by many modern mining companies: maintaining reliable wireless connectivity across an open-pit mine with constantly changing terrain and infrastructure layouts.

Previously, the operation relied largely on conventional 3G connectivity through SIM-enabled fleet vehicles. However, this setup was insufficient to support the company’s long-term strategy of enabling “Connected Machines and Connected People”, where operational data from mining equipment, systems and personnel can move seamlessly across the site in real time. Reliable connectivity is essential for applications such as fleet management, telemetry and safety monitoring across haul trucks, drill rigs and excavators.

“From our perspective, the driver wasn’t the technology itself, but the operational use case,” said Collins. “We needed to ensure that our maintenance teams in the pit could remain connected at all times. Without reliable connectivity, their mobility and efficiency were limited.”

The changing conditions within an open-pit mine created additional challenges for maintaining stable wireless coverage. As benches shift and haul roads evolve, line-of-sight conditions frequently change, often creating coverage gaps across the operation.

“The simplest way to describe it is that the hotspots are always moving,” Collins explained. “You don’t want to constantly rebuild your network infrastructure to accommodate this. It needs to adapt automatically as the operational environment evolves.”

Alternative technologies, including private LTE, 5G and mesh networks, were evaluated but did not meet the mine’s operational requirements due to concerns around complexity, adaptability and cost efficiency.

“We did consider LTE and 5G, but the cost simply didn’t justify the value for our use case,” Collins noted. “We’re a low-cost producer, so we actively look for solutions that support this strategy.”

“The key consideration was finding an alternative to LTE and 5G that could deliver similar functionality, but without the associated cost and complexity,” said Gys Malan, Solutions Architect at Datacentrix. “Tharisa also needed something easy to manage, without the overhead typically associated with traditional mesh networks.”

To address these challenges, the two companies selected RADWIN’s FiberinMotion technology, which offers low-latency, high-throughput wireless connectivity capable of supporting mobility in demanding mining environments.

Before full implementation, Tharisa and Datacentrix conducted a proof of concept (POC) within a live mining environment to validate the system’s performance. The POC combined fixed high sites for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connectivity with two temporary six-metre mobile towers designed to simulate trailer-mounted high sites.

Testing was carried out across several fleet assets, including excavators, dump trucks and light-duty vehicles, to evaluate roaming performance, network stability and handover capabilities.

“The POC phase involved multiple iterations, with repeated testing and validation under real-world conditions until we were confident in the solution and the results were very encouraging,” said Collins. “We achieved broad coverage, and even where there were minor gaps, they aligned with our expectations based on tower positioning. It gave us confidence that we could meet our operational requirements.”

Following the successful trial phase, Datacentrix implemented the permanent network infrastructure, which included ruggedised trailer-mounted towers capable of moving alongside the evolving mine pit. The system has now been operating successfully for approximately a year.

“The key outcome for us was enabling telemetry across our fleet and improving visibility into performance,” Collins said. “We can now stream data, monitor operations and even support video feeds from equipment like excavators. That simply wasn’t possible before.”

Beyond productivity improvements, the platform has also strengthened operational safety through enhanced fleet visibility and monitoring.

“For example, we can track behaviours such as unsafe machine operation, enabling better operational control and contributing to safer working conditions,” Collins said.

The deployment has also created a long-term digital foundation capable of supporting both critical and non-critical operational traffic across the mining environment.

“We now have a network backbone that can support both critical and non-critical traffic, which is something we didn’t have before,” said Collins. “There’s still a maturity journey ahead in terms of optimisation, but the platform is stable and performing well.”

Malan noted that the solution also offers a lower total cost of ownership because the infrastructure can be fully managed internally without relying heavily on third-party providers. “This is different to an LTE environment, for example, which often would require external dependencies.”

The Tharisa Mine project marks the first deployment of RADWIN’s FiberinMotion technology in Africa, positioning the operation among the continent’s leading examples of connected mining innovation. Additional deployments are already underway elsewhere in the region.

“What started as a challenge to achieve reliable connectivity has become a long-term proven platform strategy for us,” Collins said. “We now know that we’ve invested in something that is not only effective today, but reusable across the group and scalable for the future.”

Tharisa is now extending the same technology to its Karo Platinum operation in Zimbabwe, a low-cost open-pit PGM asset located along the Great Dyke.

“The Tharisa deployment was the first in Africa, and a second is now in progress at Karo Mining in Zimbabwe,” he said. “The Zimbabwe rollout will cover a significantly larger operational footprint, further demonstrating the scalability of the solution in complex mining environments.”

Collins added that the ability to remotely deploy and manage the infrastructure has proven particularly valuable for expanding operations across multiple regions. “We now have enough confidence in the platform to roll it out in another country without needing a team on-site within close proximity. That’s a critical factor for us.”

He also highlighted Datacentrix’s contribution to the project’s success. “It comes down to trust and responsiveness. If I can pick up the phone and get support when I need it, that makes a big difference,” he said. “Datacentrix understands both the technology and the mining industry, which means we can align quickly and move forward without unnecessary complexity.”

“The RADWIN FiberinMotion solution has subsequently been adopted by several other local mining organisations, with the assistance of Datacentrix, reinforcing its ability to enable safe, scalable and cost-effective digital transformation across the full mining lifecycle,” Malan said.

Exxaro launches New Mine 1 at Matla Coal Mine to strengthen coal supply. (Image source: Exxaro)

Exxaro Resources has officially inaugurated the New Mine 1 operation at its Matla Coal Mine, reinforcing the company’s long-term strategy to maintain coal production, improve operational performance and contribute to South Africa’s energy supply stability

The development follows a 2016 decision to halt operations at the original Mine 1 because of declining safety conditions around the shaft pillars. The New Mine 1 project was subsequently introduced to provide safe access to remaining reserves while extending the operational life of the mine.

The project forms a central component of the broader Matla Life of Mine Project (MLOMP), a R5.236bn (approx. US$319mn) investment programme aimed at ensuring ongoing access to coal reserves, boosting efficiency and supporting coal deliveries under the extended Coal Supply Agreement (CSA) with Eskom. Operating under a cost-plus arrangement, Eskom funds the mine’s operational costs to help secure the lowest overall fuel expenses.

The newly opened mine is expected to supply nearly 4.2 million tonnes of coal annually to the Matla Power Station, supporting energy generation reliability. The Matla Coal Mine workforce currently consists of 6,174 employees, including contractors.

Exxaro CEO Ben Magara stated, “The New Mine 1 is far more than an operational milestone, for us it reflects Exxaro’s disciplined execution, long-term vision, and commitment to South Africa’s future. Our Matla Mine continues to play a vital role in supporting the country’s energy needs while creating meaningful impact through local investment, job creation, and the development of entrepreneurship. Most importantly, this milestone reflects the commitment and resilience of our employees, whose dedication to the company continues to enable us to deliver complex projects on time, to scope and on budget while making a meaningful contribution to the country and its communities.”

The project introduced several infrastructure and operational upgrades, including a box cut providing access to the Mine 1 working area, a tunnel development silo feed conveyor system and an overland conveyor linked to a newly established crushing and handling facility connected directly to Eskom’s conveyor network. Additional infrastructure includes new employee change house facilities, engineering workshops, material warehouses and administration buildings. The project also incorporated a shortwall replacement initiative featuring next-generation mining equipment.

South Africa’s minister of minerals and petroleum resources, Gwede Mantashe, attended the official opening and visited workers underground during the event.

"This is a journey back home for me. I spent six years at this mine, working here and organising here, and during that same period we achieved production records. I was here as a worker, and today I return as a Minister. People have often said that coal is a dying industry because of concerns around pollution. However, the industry continues to evolve, particularly through improvements in mining safety and ongoing investment in innovation and research. Coal miners should never be ashamed of the work they do."

Eskom group CEO Dan Marokane highlighted the significance of the collaboration between the two companies, saying, “the expansion of Matla New Mine 1 demonstrates how strategic collaboration secures South Africa’s energy future. The reliable supply from Matla ensures that, as the grid is decongested to enable rapid renewables penetration, Eskom maintains operational consistency and security of energy supply needed to support South Africa’s developmental and industrial needs. We also negotiated the new contract structure as part of Eskom’s Cost Optimisation and Revenue Enhancement (CORE) programme, which aims to drive efficiencies in primary energy procurement. This milestone comes as Eskom marks 365 consecutive days without load shedding — a testament to the impact of sustained investment, operational discipline, and partnership with Exxaro”.

Earlier in 2025, Eskom and Exxaro signed a memorandum of understanding focused on emissions reduction initiatives, carbon capture technologies and other projects supporting a responsible and balanced energy transition.

In addition to its operational objectives, the MLOMP has generated notable socio-economic benefits within Mpumalanga. The initiative has created around 1,132 local employment opportunities and directed R532mn towards black-owned businesses as part of efforts to support economic transformation. The project has also prioritised support for Small Medium Micro Enterprises and skills development programmes within surrounding communities.

The commissioning of the relocated Mine 1 operation marks a significant phase in Matla Mine’s development, strengthening its contribution to South Africa’s energy sector while reflecting Exxaro’s broader strategy for long-term growth, community development and national economic participation.