Botswana Mining Review Comprehensive Coverage of the Progress and Achievements in the Mining Sector
Related Articles
After years of cautious adoption, mining electrification is entering a decisive acceleration phase and ABB believes the industry has crossed a critical maturity threshold. With validated deployments and significantly reduced risk, the company anticipates extensive electrified ore handling, particularly within the Battery Electric Fleet sector to grow exponentially over the next five years, far outpacing the pace seen in the past decade.
ABB’s strategy extends beyond equipment. Through its EMine™ framework, the company views the entire mining operation as an integrated electrical and digital ecosystem, where process control and electricity consumption are intertwined. This approach not only facilitates process optimisation but also increases awareness of power usage relative to production.
“To date, the industry has been conservative in deploying alternatives to traditional ore-handling systems and rolling out digital platforms to enhance mine output and plant throughput. Miners have been waiting for battery technology, high-power fast charging, robotics and Digital Operations Management Systems to reach a level of maturity where production benefits are realised from day one, rather than using operations as extended test sites. It’s a proud time for ABB, its partners, and collaborating end-users. Years of R&D and operational testing have delivered solutions such as the world’s first Underground Battery Electric Trolley Truck, Automated Robotic Connection Devices, Mine Face Robotic Charging and Blasting and Operations Management Systems enabling near real-time short-interval control. The technology is here, operational and ready for adoption,” said Erik Pretorius, Global Sales Lead: Large and Strategic Mining Projects and Initiatives at ABB.
Pretorius added that the current level of maturity now meets client requirements with far less risk than three to five years ago. He noted, “Another exciting development is the shift away from disparate control, operating and expert systems. ABB’s solutions including ABB Ability™ 800xA and ABB OMS, are ideally suited to centralising control and operational management, improving efficiency and decision-making. Historically, most operations had isolated control systems, even within the same plant and centralised control centres were exceptions rather than the rule. Today, clients are witnessing the power of integrated operations management, end-to-end power flow and energy management, all supported by a real-time digital backbone.”
ABB underscores the importance of future-proofing mine operations. “Deploying new electrical and digital backbones or upgrading existing infrastructure to support the next step-change is now critical in every study or expansion plan. The benefits of electrification are clear, but in power-constrained regions of Africa, miners must often supplement grid supply with renewables and co-generation. Intelligent energy management systems are essential to balance maximum demand, total consumption and production targets effectively,” said Pretorius.
The transition to an all-electric mine is unique to each operation. Greenfield projects can embed electrification from day one, whereas brownfield operations require a strategic approach. “You cannot simply add electrical loads to an existing operation and expect the upstream network to support them flawlessly,” noted Pretorius. ABB begins by improving efficiency in existing power flows. Reducing losses and unlocking spare capacity creates the headroom needed for electric fleets and charging infrastructure, with resulting cost savings helping to finance the electrification journey.
Early engagement and integrated project teams are key to successful implementation. “We work as a combined team of client, consultant and OEM from design through deployment. Operational teams are involved from the outset, ensuring continuous skills transfer. You don’t train staff for a week and expect them to operate cutting-edge technology, they must be embedded throughout the project lifecycle,” explained Pretorius.
ABB’s outlook remains that the industry is moving from pilot projects to scaled electrification. Underground trolley systems, renewable integration and digital optimisation are converging into a new operating model. “The future isn’t just electric, it’s electric and digital together,” concluded Pretorius. With validated technology, reduced risk and maturing integrated power architectures, ABB sees full-scale mining electrification entering mainstream deployment over the next five years.
