Chair of MINExpo International expects a unique event, driven by technology

Caterpillar Resource Industries’ group president Denise Johnson will chair MINExpo International in Las Vegas, NV Sept. 24-26. It is an honor she has held once before, in 2016, and she is certain that 2024 will be a unique experience. “The mining industry was in a very different state then,” Johnson told Mining Engineering in June. “Technologies like autonomy were just starting to come to fruition, and certainly the energy transition piece was in the distant future so we didn’t have a lot of discussion at that point about low-emission or zero-emission equipment; so this edition of MINExpo will have a very different feel.” The global mining industry was still recovering from a downturn in 2016 and companies like Caterpillar had created new business models to adapt to customers’ needs. It was a challenging time, but one in which many lessons were learned, some of which have helped shaped the way business is being done today — namely, an enhanced focus on technology. When MINExpo 2024 kicks off Sept. 24 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. and a keynote address at 10:30 a.m. featuring television personality Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs, Caterpillar will once again have the largest booth among the nearly 1,900 vendors. The company will look to create what it calls the “mine site of the future.” It says the booth will feature “industry-leading technologies, groundbreaking advancements in the energy transition and first-of-a-kind customized solutions designed to increase customers’ efficiency, safety and profitability.” With the increased focus on technology, and especially technology that emphasizes improved sustainability, Johnson said she feels MINExpo 2024 will be special for a number of reasons.“Mining companies have made firm commitments to their sustainability targets while remaining very focused on safety. I think you will see a lot of that at the show. There will be a lot of technology focused on what OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and technology providers can do to make mines operate more safely,” she said. Front and center to those safety-focused technologies is the automation of the equipment found at mine sites around the world. Caterpillar, Komatsu, Liebherr and others will showcase the in-house solutions they have developed to automate equipment. Other companies, like Pronto Autonomous Haulage and Hexagon will also exhibit cutting-edge technology. “Removing people from the mine site is the safest way to operate, and it provides additional advantages from a productivity perspective,” Johnson said. From the productivity perspective, there will also be a spotlight shone on the global energy transition, and what it means for the future of mining. These technologies encompass zero-emission mining, which includes battery-electric technologies for mining equipment as well as solutions for the infrastructure that will be required to create a battery-electric ecosystem that will operate productively on a mine site. “Mines are often in remote locations and to be able to take renewable energy into remote locations to support the mining is going to take not fuel but electricity,” Johnson continued. “We often think about fixed plant-driven mobile equipment and doing it in an ecosystem that is complex. It creates a challenge, but it is also exciting. It is a transformational change for mining companies and it is changing how people think of mining companies.” An event like MINExpo gives the mining industry an opportunity to showcase the tools and technologies that drive the industry forward. Johnson said it also provides the industry with the chance to show the industry in a favorable light and perhaps dispel some of the misconceptions about the industry. “Without a doubt, the world needs more mined minerals,” said Johnson. “When you think about the energy transition and the need for batteries, data centers, AI (artificial intelligence), electric vehicles and so on … all of that drives additional need for mined materials. From an environmental, social and governance (ESG) perspective, it all needs to be recyclable and have multiple uses. This drives mining growth. It also presents the mining industry with an opportunity to be viewed differently than it has been before. The industry has traditionally been viewed as a dirty, nonsustainable industry, and I think this is a chance to show that we are leading in the area of ESG and sustainability. The Scope 1, Scope 2 and even Scope 3 emission reductions that mining companies have signed up to be able to deliver are very impressive, given the size of the equipment and the remoteness of the operations." The last time the mining industry gathered in Las Vegas for MINExpo, the world was recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The event moved from 2020 to September 2021, and the discussions around low- or zero-emission mining were in the early stages. Three years later, and the technologies have made huge advancements. Caterpillar will display its latest innovations, including the 372-t (410-st) Cat 798 AC mining truck configured for autonomous haulage with Cat MineStar Command for hauling. “We believe systems such as Command for hauling are essential to optimize mine site performance, both with our current product line and as we introduce new offerings like our battery-electric solutions,” Marc Cameron, senior vice president at Caterpillar Resource Industries, said in a press release. “Autonomous technology will help monitor and orchestrate the complex balance of onboard energy, available charging assets, and production targets to achieve the lowest operating costs.” Liebherr will also display low-emission technologies at its booth, including the R 9400 E 350-t (400-st) electric excavator. The excavator will be equipped with various new Liebherr Assistance Systems that will help to optimize day-to-day operations, as well as the company’s new cable reel solution for increased maneuverability. At its technology showcase, the company will share its range of latest innovations. In the decarbonization space, it has developed a variety of alternative drives and will feature new solutions for its range of haul trucks for the first time at MINExpo 2024. Liebherr will also share its new approach and solutions for autonomous haulage and fleet management as well as its new Machine Guidance System. The company will present its latest solutions for automating, operating and maintaining Liebherr equipment, including LiReCon (Liebherr Remote Control), the teleoperations system for its dozers.Likewise, Sandvik will present its solutions to aid in the global decarbonization efforts. “As the mining industry helps drive the global green transition, and decarbonization efforts accelerate within our own sector, we continue to innovate within automation, digitalization and electrification, key areas that empower our customers to mine more sustainably,” said Mats Eriksson, president of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions. The centerpiece of Sandvik’s exhibit will be a 60-m2 (645-sq ft) immersive room, a sensory experience that will demonstrate the company’s end-to-end digital offering and other key technologies. MINExpo attendees can step into a mine control room and cap lamp room, explore its MineGame advanced simulation tool and discover technologies including its digital convergence system and collision avoidance system, the company said. Sandvik is developing a diesel-electric range of underground loaders and trucks to complement its battery-electric vehicles, which is expected to boost productivity, reduce total cost of ownership, improve availability and extend component lifetimes. Its Toro diesel-electric truck demonstrator, first introduced to customers in 2022, boasts a capacity of more than 60 tons and has undergone extensive performance testing. Using customer feedback, the product development team will ensure its future commercial offering meets industry needs. On the surface drilling side, Sandvik will showcase its Sandvik DR411i rotary blasthole drill rig and Pantera DP1510i top hammer drill rig, as well as its latest battery-electric concept surface drill rig. On display for the first time outside of Finland, the down-the-hole (DTH) BEV is the first in its size class, capable of drilling DTH holes up to 229 mm (9 in.) in diameter and blending the autonomy of battery with the continuous endurance of power cable. Johnson said Caterpillar mining has benefitted from the companies’ work in other sectors, including the transportation and energy sectors. “We have a very broad portfolio that meets not only the mining equipment but the infrastructure to support the equipment. We talked about that in 2021, but I think you will see advancements and examples where we are getting that equipment out and into the mine sites and starting to learn from that.” Caterpillar recently began shipping its first zero-emission equipment and ecosystem to mine sites around the world. “In 2021, we talked about it as an idea and now it is becoming a reality with those same customers,” said Johnson. “It’s a very cool feeling to be part of that development process.” n

Chair of MINExpo International expects a unique event, driven by technology

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