Wenco acquires fatigue monitoring wearable device maker SmartCap

Wenco International Mining Systems has acquired all assets and intellectual property of fatigue monitoring wearable maker SmartCap Technologies.

The deal will merge fatigue monitoring capability to the safety solution portfolio of Wenco.

The SmartCap device evaluates fatigue levels in real-time and screens for oncoming microsleeps that can cause safety hazards. More than 5,000 consumers in mining, trucking, and various other sectors are using the device.

Wenco noted that the SmartCap improves the workers’ ability to stay safe.

SmartCap CEO Tim Ekert said: “This purchase is an important step for the continued growth of the SmartCap fatigue technology. We have made significant progress these past eight years and we are proud of every safety incident our technology has prevented.

“We believe joining Wenco will enable us to grow even further and increase the safety of even more industrial operations.”

Lately, Wenco and its parent company, Hitachi Construction Machinery, have concentrated on solutions for simplifying and enhancing end-to-end mining venture, with safety as the primary concern.

SmartCap is expected to add a fatigue analysis layer for operator protection to the digital mining drive.

It may be incorporated under HCM’s Solution Linkage family, the ICT/IoT solution platform for worldwide mining and construction clients made in response to high demands for enhanced safety, lifecycle cost, and output.

Barrick urged to cancel $1.3bn Pueblo Viejo expansion project

Civil society groups are reportedly calling on Canada’s Barrick Gold to stop the $1.3bn expansion plan of its Pueblo Viejo gold mine in the Dominican Republic due to environmental concerns.

In March 2020, Barrick Gold unveiled plans to extend the life of the mine beyond 2040. The company aims to exploit the lower grades in the orebody through the expansion work.

As part of the plan, Barrick said that it will initially invest $1.3bn to expand the processing plant and tailings facility at the mine.

However, civil society groups have flagged concerns over the expansion project, citing its risks due to increased mine waste and threats to the rights of local communities, reported Reuters.

According to the news agency, a total of 87 environmental and aid groups signed a letter opposing the expansion plan.

Barrick CEO Mark Bristow was cited by the news agency as saying that formal engagements have started between the company and communities in this regard. This follows more than a year of informal meetings.

However, ‘detractors’ restricted more than 200 people from taking part in the community meeting held for the expansion work, Bristow added.

Located 100km from Santo Domingo, the Pueblo Viejo mine is a joint venture between Barrick Gold (60%) and Newmont Goldcorp (40%).

Plan to extend Turow mine’s life may risk EU climate fund access to Poland

The European Commission (EC) has reportedly said that Poland’s access to the EU’s green transition fund would be impacted due to the country’s decision to extend the life of the Turow coal mine until 2044.

The EU’s Just Transition Fund is a financial instrument with an overall budget of €17.5bn, which would help regions reduce their dependence on fossil fuel industries and replace them with green enterprises as the EU aims to become climate neutral by 2050.

Employing more than half of the coal industry workforce in Europe, Poland is expected to receive the biggest share of the EU’s green transition fund.

The decision to extend the life of the Turow coal mine, which is owned by Polska Grupa Energetyczna, was announced by the Polish Government last week, enraging several environmental groups.

EC spokeswoman Vivian Loonela was reported by Reuters as saying: “That certainly puts at risk the use of the Just Transition Fund to support this region where, as we can see, the transition is not planned from now until 2030.”

To gain access to the EU fund, regions need to submit plans on how the mine shutdowns will be managed and workers retrained, reported the news agency.

The Czech Republic filed a lawsuit at the European Court of Justice earlier this year, suing Poland for its six-year licence extension issued to the Turow mine in March 2020.

The lawsuit is the first-ever case in the history of the EU, where one member state of the bloc sues another on environmental concerns.

Liberty Mutual delays environment impact filing for Australian coal project

Mount Ramsay Coal Company, a unit of insurance firm Liberty Mutual, has put on hold the environmental impact assessment filing scheduled on 30 April for the Baralaba South coal project in Australia.

The deadline slip comes as Liberty Mutual’s local arm seeks alternatives for the controversial mine.

Expected to produce five million tonnes per year of run-of-mine coal, the project is being opposed by community groups, led by Save the Dawson, citing its adverse impact on pollution and climate change.

Liberty Mutual spokeswoman was reported by Reuters as saying: “As part of our investment processes, we’ve been evaluating alternatives for our Baralaba investment for some time and will not be submitting an environmental impact assessment for the South Mine at this stage.

“We remain committed to collaborating with all stakeholders.”

The Queensland Department of Environment and Science spokesperson was quoted by the news agency as saying: “If they don’t submit within the next 12 months, the EIS process lapses.”

As a result, Liberty Mutual is required to start a whole new process with new terms of reference for the project development, the spokesperson noted.

Welcoming Liberty Mutual’s decision, Save the Dawson group member Paul Stephenson said that a decade-long battle has been won and called on Liberty Mutual to withdraw its application entirely.

Vale’s subsidiary receives fine over environmental irregularities in Brazil

The Brazilian city of Itaguaí has imposed a fine of $430,000 (Rs2.3m) on a port subsidiary of miner Vale for non-compliance with environmental laws.

The fine was imposed following an inspection of the iron ore and solid bulk terminal, which is operated by Vale subsidiary Companhia Portuária Baía de Sepetiba (CPBS).

Located on Madeira island in Rio de Janeiro, this terminal has an estimated loading capacity of 25,000tph of iron ore. It sources ore from Minas Gerais via rail.

The inspection report identified 17 irregularities, including an expired operating licence.

However, contesting the report, Vale was quoted by Reuters as saying that CPBS has a valid operating licence granted by the state environmental agency Inea for the terminal.

The news agency stated that Inea had also confirmed the validity of the terminal’s state license and its renewal.

Last week, Vale secured a permit from the state environmental agency in Rio de Janeiro to reopen its iron ore terminal in Mangaratiba.

This terminal was temporarily closed due to a lack of an operating permit.

GSR’s mining robot stranded on Pacific Ocean floor during trials

A deep-sea mining prototype robot developed by Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR) was stranded on the Pacific Ocean floor following a malfunction during a test mission.

The Patania II mining robot was developed to explore and bring up rocks rich in cobalt and nickel from the Pacific Ocean floor at a depth of more than 13,000ft.

As part of the month-long trial and research programme, which started on 20 April 2021, the robot was connected to GSR’s Rainbow Warrior ship with a 5km cable.

The umbilical cable was detached from the machine when the first phase of trials was nearing completion, reported BBC News.

A GSR spokesman said: “On its final dive in the GSR area, a lifting point separated and Patania II now stands on the seafloor.

“An operation to reconnect the lifting point begins this evening and we will provide an update in due course.”

GSR plans to redeploy the machine if it is successfully retrieved to continue further research.

However, recovery of the machine in such extreme depths cannot be guaranteed.