What’s required to reduce the risks around tailings? When it comes to the catastrophic failure of tailings ponds, the operational word is ‘catastrophic’. Events like Brumadinho in Brazil and Jagersfontein in South Africa destroy and pollute on a large scale. While major miners have stepped up their tailings tactics in recent years, local practices can undercut solid design. As the 2022 International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) Tailings Roadmap outlines, the threat of catastrophic failure is still present and likely to grow, simply by virtue of accelerating mineral requirements.  ..read more

The development face is one of the most significant hazard areas of an underground mine, particularly in seismically active ground with geotechnical hazards such as ground fails, stress induced failure and rock bursting.  Industry members have long identified the need to minimize exposure, particularly for charge-up crews who are most at risk due to the length of time required at the mining face to perform their tasks. CMIC’s RCU project promises to provide a solution that is both efficient and cost-effective. RCU is a project that started in 2019 when Olitek Mining Robotics be ..read more

Mining companies across the globe have committed to meeting a goal of net zero by 2050 or sooner. This goal encompasses both scope one emissions (emanating from sources owned by an organization, such as furnaces, boilers, vehicles, etc.) and scope two emissions (produced in the production of electricity purchased by an organization). This goal of net zero is essential to the future of mining, and the industry’s leaders are already in the process of developing strategies and plans. But we’re not there yet; there are some fundamental gaps that must be addressed before net zero can be achieved ..read more

In part one of our Circularity series, we looked at the barriers facing the mining industry in achieving circularity in their business. In this second part, we will explore our progress, and how true circularity can be achieved. The mining industry is well positioned to adapt to a circular model in what is mined, and how materials are mined. Here at CMIC our focus is on the second component, how materials are mined. Our approach to circularity is unique because we see it as a result rather than an aspiration. We’re all about driving the industry to zero waste, which is foundational to circul ..read more

CMIC in collaboration with Sandvik and its members launched a project that enables the opportunity for collective learning about mechanical rock excavation (MRE) technology. Through this consortium, participants will gain extensive knowledge in the technology that will enable them to accelerate deployment of mechanical cutting at their operations. Mechanical cutting has been identified as a transformational opportunity to disrupt the current paradigm of the conventional drill and blast platform process. This project is aligned with the strategic thrust for electrification of mines and the mov ..read more

CMIC members have identified sensor-based ore sorting as a technology that could disrupt the mining industry given its potential to reduce energy consumption and water use, increase metal recoveries and lower tailings footprint. As technologies advance, sensor-based ore sorting has been deployed with increased success over the past few years. Still, there are many examples of projects that did not generate the expected value for various reasons.  “Sorting technologies currently exist and are being used in other industries. Mining represents an opportunity for expansion, but the vendo ..read more

Our industry is evolving. Senior leaders from across the mining sector are committed to developing the innovations and best practices required to build a more sustainable, profitable industry. But what about the next generation of leaders? In this blog post we’ll discuss the importance of education and training in equipping tomorrow’s leaders for the future of mining. Why training must keep pace with technology Many aspects of mining operations remained unchanged for decades, but the industry is now moving quickly to address the goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Developments such ..read more

2020 was unlike anything many of us have experienced, presenting many challenges to businesses and individuals globally. In spite of these challenges, CMIC continued to recruit new members, progress existing consortia projects, design new projects and develop new international alliances. “CMIC has had an indelible impact on the mining industry and has built that trust through our human approach to innovation.” Carl Weatherell CMIC Executive Director & CEO We’re excited to share a snapshot of our progress in the 2020 Annual Report. Follow the link below to read about our process ..read more

Olitek Mining Robotics (Olitek), Australia and the Canada Mining Innovation Council (CMIC) are pleased to announce their partnership on the Remote Charge-up Unit (RCU) project. Globally, mines are getting deeper, and this forces a re-think of the manual mining practices that are common across our industry. Ground falls, stress-induced failure and rock bursting mean the development face is one of the highest hazard zones in any underground mine. The development face explosives loading and priming crews are most ‘at risk’ to these geotechnical hazards due to the lengthy exposure duration at th ..read more

When CMIC recently partnered with the Prospect Mining Studio at Newlab it was a prime example of collaborative innovation in action. Newlab is a community of experts and innovators applying transformative technology to solve the world’s biggest challenges. The Prospect Mining Studio is a partnership between Newlab and Vimson Group that supports top entrepreneurs, engineers, inventors, and prominent researchers to advance the natural resource and mining industries. CMIC and Newlab are now working together to identify and evaluate technologies that have the potential to help move mining toward a ..read more