News & numbers “COP26 must be the COP that consigns coal to history. With these ambitious
commitments we are seeing today, the end of coal power is now within sight.” Alok Sharma, president for COP26
Nokia 5G to support Agnico Eagle Finland’s
mining operations Nokia has announced it is working with mobile operator Telia and its partner, Digita, to deliver a 5G standalone (SA) private wireless network for Agnico Eagle Finland, which operates the Kittilä mine in the north of the country – the largest primary gold producer in Europe. The Nokia 5G SA network will support both above and below-ground operations, reaching depths of up to 1km. The low- latency capabilities of the network will help to accelerate its digital transformation, such as autonomous vehicles, high-precision positioning and group communications, to further enhance operational reliability, safety and quality.
“Having already piloted autonomous and remotely controlled machinery in recent years, we chose to work with Nokia, Telia and Digita to deliver capabilities for the next phase of our digital transformation journey,” said Tommi Kankkunen, general manager of the Kittilä mine. “We want to innovate by using the latest technologies and will leverage the Nokia 5G SA private network to enhance operational efficiency and support the highest level of safety for teams working at the mine.” The Nokia 5G SA private wireless network, based on the Nokia modular private wireless (MPW) solution, will incorporate Nokia 5G RAN AirScale base station technology and critical-edge computing capabilities, together with the Nokia Compact Mobility Unit-based 5G core. The network will be deployed in phases and is expected to be completed in October 2022.
World agrees to “phase down” coal-fired power at COP26
On 13 November 2021, representatives from 196 nations agreed on a road plan to combat climate change as the culmination of COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland. The agreement requires countries to return to the conference in 2022 with more detailed strategies on how to address climate change. It also called on wealthy nations to more than double the amount of funds allocated to assisting vulnerable nations in adapting to the changing climate. However, there was some controversy over last-minute changes to the agreement that saw the language change to “phase down” the use of unabated coal rather than
“phase out” coal, as it had been in an earlier draft.
Earlier in COP26, over 40 countries committed to phase out coal-fired power – either in the 2030s for major economies or the 2040s for poorer nations. However, several of the world’s biggest coal- dependent and emitting economies were all missing from this pledge, including China, India and the US, which together accounted for 49.5% of all fossil fuel emissions in 2019. According to CNN, the agreement marked the first time in the conference’s history that coal or any other fossil fuel, including oil or gas, had been mentioned as a cause of climate change.
Global steel industry could eliminate emissions by 2050
A new study by BloombergNEF claims that the global steel industry could eliminate its carbon emissions between now and 2050 by using hydrogen for fuel, ramping up recycling and capturing carbon from older plants. However, it will require a sizable amount of investment.
Steel production generates about 7% of global greenhouse gas emissions and some processes can’t easily run on electricity. Switching to zero-carbon production methods will require the industry to spend between $215–278bn, according to the report.
“The steel industry has a challenging path to decarbonisation: it is heavily reliant on coal, has limited opportunities to increase its share of recycled production due to scrap availability, and will need to wait for hydrogen costs to fall to realise cost-competitive clean production,” the report noted. Approximately 69% of current steel production is fuelled by coal in blast furnaces. Given its combination of price and strength, steel has no obvious material replacement to takes its place in the myriad ways in which it’s used.
Anglo American announces new CEO
On 3 November 2021, Duncan Wanblad was announced as the new chief executive officer at Anglo American. He is set to take up the role on 19 April 2022 and will also join the company’s board as an executive director on the same date. Wanblad succeeds Mark Cutifani, who will retire from the company’s board of directors after nine years in the role. The upcoming CEO began his career at Anglo American in 2008, when he was
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appointed to head the copper division. He served as CEO of Anglo’s base metals business from 2013–19 and in 2016 was appointed group director for strategy and business development. He is also a non-executive director of De Beers and Kumba Iron Ore, and chairs the Anglo American Foundation. “I am honoured that the board has given me the opportunity to lead this great company and our wonderful colleagues around the
world. Having started my career underground as a junior engineer, I have never lost sight of what it takes to produce the metals and minerals that are ever more vital to support our life on this planet,” said Wanblad, regarding his appointment. “Through the way we work, the technologies we are deploying to drive us towards our sustainability goals, and the breadth of opportunities I can see, we are determined to live up to that promise.”
World Mining Frontiers /
www.nsenergybusiness.com
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