The drive to improve productivity, efficiency and safety are leading to rising investment by mining companies, large and small, in a wide range of technologies. Already the extent of mines having invested in mine planning and management software is high, but there are rising levels of investment particularly in mine communication systems and drones, according to
The company’s latest report, ‘Global Mine-Site Technology Adoption Survey 2019’, reveals that 61% of mine sites have already made a considerable investment in fully implemented mine communication systems, such as private LTE networks or 5G (55% in 2018), while 56% of mines have invested to some extent in drones compared with 44% in 2018.
David Kurtz, Director of Analysis, Mining, and Construction at
While the majors have led the way in investment in communication systems, small and mid-tier miners are now joining the suit. Similar shares of both groups have made considerable investments or fully implemented communication systems, while 53% of smaller miners are expecting to make investments in this area over the next two years-the highest shares of the technologies investigated.
Drones
Kurtz adds: “Investment in drones is not expensive, but the payback in terms of cost savings, faster decision-making and improved productivity means it is not surprising to see such a rapid increase in levels of investing.”
This article was contributed by