Future of Mining, Mineral Processing and Metal Extraction Industry

Mining, mineral processing and metal extraction are undergoing a profound transformation as a result of two revolutions in the making—one, advances in digital technologies and the other, availability of electricity from renewable energy sources at affordable prices. The demand for new metals and materials has also arisen concurrently. This necessitates discovery of new ore deposits, mining and mineral processing of newly discovered ore deposits, and extraction of metals for meeting the projected requirements of the industry and the society. Some of the innovations that impacted the industry, for example, electric and autonomous equipment for drilling, haulage and processing of ores, drones for monitoring and control of operations, space/deep-sea/urban mining and molten salt electrolysis for metal extraction are discussed here. The transformative potential of integrated digital platforms such as TCS PREMAP and TCS PEACOCK is illustrated with examples where the platforms have been gainfully deployed in operating plants and creating values for the industry.