Mining Digital May 2021 | Page 111

SUSTAINABILITY

Increased demand for

cement and minerals :

more wind generated power needed in 2030

Global water stress : The number of people living in water stressed areas is expected to

increase substantially by 2030 from

Climate crisis : CO₂

The pandemic restricted some areas of FLSmidth ’ s business , but it also presented a number of opportunities . The demand for minerals increased significantly resulting in increasing commodity prices . Copper and gold , which are traditional FLSmidth strongholds , are enjoying favourable market conditions .

“ The post-Covid mining world will look remarkably more digitized ,” notes Wayne Douglas , Head of Digital - Mining at FLSmidth . “ Rather than slow down the pace of digital adoption , Covid-19 has shone a spotlight on just how important digital solutions and data analytics are for mining . When logistics are severely challenged , when it becomes difficult or even impossible to be on site , suddenly all the value of digitalization becomes crystal clear .”

Douglas sees areas such as remote monitoring and diagnosis , predictive maintenance and process optimisation centre stage and the benefits – from increased uptime and improved throughput to safety , cost and environmental gains – are already evident .

The pandemic has driven increased global awareness of health , safety and the environment . “ Some of the world ’ s largest , most densely populated and most polluted cities have experienced weeks or months with closed factories , car-free streets and , for the first time in years , fresh air and clear blue skies ,” observes Douglas . “ This has sparked fresh momentum in the battle against climate change . The pandemic has accelerated the green energy transition and industrial decarbonisation , both of which favour FLSmidth as a premium supplier to the mining and cement industries with huge potential to reduce their environmental footprint .”

The pandemic has also underscored the importance of having an agile supply chain reckons Douglas . “ It has played to the strengths of our regional business structure that was implemented in 2018 . Today , we have a higher share of local sales and service staff close to our customers which has served us well through the lockdowns .”

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