Modern Mining February 2024
Editor’s take: As the mining sector readies for the Mining Indaba in Cape Town – one of the largest mining events in the world devoted to the development of mining interests across the continent, which takes place from 5-8 February – it does so against the backdrop of much global turmoil, which sets the stage for some interesting conversations and discussions.
Added to this, the world’s second largest economy and the region's second largest trading partner, - China, has posted sluggish GDP growth for 2023. In 2022, the value of China’s trade with the continent stood at a whopping $282 billion. So, what does sluggish growth mean for China and how will it impact the rest of the world, especially the African continent and South Africa? Delegates to the Mining Indaba will have a front row seat to those answers, especially as the Indaba promises “an exciting lineup of influential speakers to engage in thought-provoking discussions”.
On the cover
Axis House provides green solutions in mineral processing
Axis House, a leading reagent manufacturer and supplier to the mineral processing sector, has made a significant commitment to sustainability by dedicating research and development efforts to the development of environmentally friendly reagents. Concrete initiatives, including gold leaching without cyanide and a range of non-hazardous frothers, allow the Axis House Research and Development team to reduce the environmental impact of its products, plus showcase and drive positive change within the industry.
WMI targets Critical Minerals Catalogue completion by December 2025
Underpinning the world’s transition to a clean energy system is the need for critical metals, such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements, to support clean energy technologies. Modern Mining recently spoke to Professor Glen Nwaila, director of the Wits Mining Institute about the institution’s progress in developing its Critical Minerals Catalogue.
Navigating the path to 1.5°C
The Paris Agreement's call to keep the global temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius (°C) and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C, is a key aspiration for most countries. Modern Mining recently spoke to Rebecca Gordon, CEO of CRU Consulting, to find out just how the world was faring in meeting the goals outlined by the Paris Agreement. “In terms of overall decarbonisation of the world economy, one could say we are grading ever closer to a ‘fair”, says Gordon. “Progress has been made, but not enough to stay on that 2°C path.”
WEG Africa's bespoke solutions delivery energy security
While the mining sector pursues ambitious goals on its journey to a lower carbon future, energy security remains an indispensable pillar of project viability – from concept and planning stages through to operational success. “Without a secure and reliable supply of energy, any mining operation will find it difficult to prosper,” says Alastair Gerrard, WEG Africa’s Energy Systems Executive. “Right from the outset, whether a new mine or an expansion or optimisation project, mining companies need a high level of confidence in the security of energy supply to accurately assess project viability and return on investment.”
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