MINING 4.0 HOW DO WE GET THERE?
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As far as implementing new technology goes, Vossie says that Caravel has embraced the opportunity to modernise their operational framework and reimagine what the future of the mining workforce might look like. “Caravel has introduced a partially remote workforce that is centralised in one operations management centre,” he explains. “One of the advantages of this shift toward remote operations is that the company now has access to a vast tool of talent with more diverse backgrounds and skillsets than a traditional FIFO operation would have.” Caravel is hopeful that these changes will attract the interest of people from outside the mining industry, such as IT and computer programming specialists, whose skills are highly transferrable when working with these new technologies, according to Vossie. Futhermore, he highlights that as these new roles and rosters continue to emerge, it is likely that they will replace some of the more traditional mining roles such as in-field machine operators.
Caravel Mining planning, he also insists on sharing the vision with partners such as ABB to enable a truly collaborative working environment. “Making sure that the people working with us understand our overall project and vision is essential to the Caravel Minerals project’s success,” he emphasises. “ABB has so much experience in electrification and we look forward to drawing upon this expertise as we progress our designs for trolley assist and power articulation.” Nik Gresshoff from ABB acknowledges the wider implications of the project’s success, namely copper’s role in the electrification journey. “What Caravel Minerals is doing is a first in Australia – the copper project will contribute greatly to Australia’s copper production,” he notes. “Copper is crucial to electrification. For example, a battery electric vehicle will require over 80 kilograms of copper. This fact often gets overlooked because Australia is not a traditional copper producer. It is also why the Caravel Minerals project is particularly significant. ABB is proud to be involved at such an early stage and excited by the mine’s prospects.”
Just as Vossie believes in involving people outside of the mining sphere into the
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