Gamechangers Video Podcast

Changing the Game with Sustainable Mining

Summary: Wayne Douglas, Head of Technology for mining equipment manufacturer and services provider, FLSmidth, and Wouter de Groot, Head of Sustainability, tell us how they're helping the mining industry to become more sustainable with new technologies and practices.
 
Key Take-aways:
 
About FLSmidth
FLSmidth doesn't own mines - it 's a technology provider, helping to build and upgrade new mines with new technology - as well as servicing existing equipment. Its equipment - from crushers to mills - is designed to get rocks out of the ground and separate desired minerals.
 
About the mining industry
Civilization has been defined by the different ways we've been able to mine and use minerals and metals. Mining is in everything we do, everything around us. If it's not grown, it usually comes out of the ground! In fact, every American, for example, will need around 1.5 million kgs (3 million pounds) of minerals, metals and fuels in their lifetime.
 
Mining isn't what it used to be
Today, mining is one of the most tech-intensive industries you will find globally. The tunnels often look similar to those we drive through in our cars. And, for example, there are fleets of some of the most modern trucks, with everything being connected via wifi. The processing technology that's actually used is very high-tech.
 
The sustainability challenges of mining
Mining is an intensive industry from an environmental point of view. Big machinery, big operations. Crushing rocks alone uses around 3% of the world's electricity. In the US, 1% of all water is used for mining. Then there are pollution challenges, too. And we constantly need more rock, more crushing, more electricity, more water - to keep up with market demand. Mining requires solutions and it requires them fast.
 
A tale of tailings
Tailings are the waste left behind in large piles after, e.g., copper has been extracted. Most is just deposited, but efforts are being made to reprocess it. Tailings almost always contain other minerals that were not extracted in the first processing run - so finding ways to reprocess tailings also holds sustainability potential.
 
Water challenge
Water can be thought of as the face of climate change. And mining is in the eye of the storm here, using a lot of water. It uses water in the process and then something needs to be done with its discharge. Having access to water is one thing. Making sure that you use it effectively is another. And then the third thing is how miners then dispose of water once it has been treated, or reuse it again in the process. To do all this in a responsible and sustainable way, you need new technologies.
 
A belief in sustainable mining
FLSmidth maintains that mining can be done sustainably with responsible use of water, with limited to no emissions, and ensuring that things are being disposed of in a responsible way. The company presents a technology vision of what is already feasible with the knowledge that we have today and with the tools that we have in mind to guide where mining needs to go - all to make sure that we can continue mining and simultaneously meet the global energy and climate crisis.
 
The MissionZero Mine
FLSmidth's "Mission Zero Mine" is a blueprint and set of offerings that will be ready by 2030 to deliver on a sustainable future for mining. It comprises equipment that will drastically reduce the amount of energy required to take big rocks, turn them into fine powder, float out the valuable mineral, then lower the cost of recovering the water and energy required for the process. The result is forecast to provide a 40 to 50% reduction in total energy consumption, as well as 95% water recovery.
 
From vision to reality
We need to make sure the technology is adopted fast, and that miners are supported in their adoption. Installing such technology requires huge investments by the mining company. Getting there requires baby steps, starting with piloting at a small scale, perhaps where a slipstream can be run side by side to really validate the technology.
 
What about human rights?
Human rights can be a challenge. Mines are not that always that strong on how they treat people. The responsibility falls automatically on the miners and on their suppliers, but also on FLSmidth's assessment of its own suppliers. FLSmidth addresses this with policies, procedures, a cross-organizational human rights work council, and commitment to international human rights standards such as the UN Global Compact.
 
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Manikins on a Mission

Summary: In today's episode, Thomas Hvitved, CEO, and Peter Trans, the founder of P.T. Teknik, join the Gamechangers Video Podcast to discuss how they use high-tech mannikins to analyse airflows in buildings, vehicles and other transportation systems. And we find out how, by doing so, they can help to significantly reduce energy consumption without sacrificing occupant or passenger comfort.  
 
 
Key Take-aways:
 
Meet Holger:
Our third, somewhat shy guest is named Holger (it's a quaint Scandinavian male name). At first glance, "he" resembles a normal fashion mannequin but he actually contains multiple computers and a host of other, integrated electronics linked to a skin-level wiring system that covers his entire body. Along with connection to intelligent software, Holger can perform detailed thermal analysis as he encounters a range of environments. And he, or one of his more specialised colleagues, can simulate breathing, sweating, coughing, and more.
        
Thermal comfort manikins to the rescue!
Manikins of this type can help to:
- Design electric vehicles with minimal energy use per kilometer/mile
- Develop zero-energy/low emission buildings
- Optimize HVAC systems for minimum energy spend
- Improve clothing and wearables for extreme environments
- Optimize PIR sensors and thermo-vision technology
 
Why manikins are better than people:
In interior testing contexts, using humans to assess comfort levels may seem intuitively best. But humans are more subjective in their experience of an environment - influenced from day to day, or moment to moment by aspects such as hunger, mood, tiredness and so on. Thermal comfort manikins, on the other hand, can deliver objective, easily quantifiable results 24 hours a day, day in, day out. Not to mention the ethical questionability of using humans in particularly harsh or hazardous environments.
 
Reducing EV energy consumption:
Few people know that around 30% of an electric vehicle's energy is used to run the air conditioning alone (assuming, for example, an external temperature of approximately 0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit). And that translates almost directly to 30% less range. And it's even worse if you use the car seat warmer! That's because, unlike a fossil-fueled car, where waste heat from the engine is used to heat the cabin with little impact on efficiency, an EV's heat or A/C draws directly from the battery. So, any energy used for comfort can't be used for propulsion. 
 
By using thermal comfort manikins to analyse the thermal comfort and efficiency of HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) in electric vehicles, manufacturers can significantly reduce their energy use. At the same time, greater comfort for the driver also has safety implications. And the same principles can be applied to other transportation systems such as aircraft, busses or trains.
 
Lower-energy, greater-comfort buildings:
We spend something like 90% of our time indoors, and 40% of energy is related to buildings. So, a really important application of thermal comfort manikins is in the design of modern buildings - or in refurbishing existing buildings to achieve lower energy consumption.
You can make a building energy-efficient, but will it also be comfortable for humans? Doing so requires architects and others who design our living and working spaces to apply technologies like thermal comfort manikins to do a far better job of understanding the optimal energy/comfort balance.
 
Clothing that protects us from climate extremes:
As future climate conditions become more extreme, the task of designing comfortable and efficient environments, clothing and wearable accessories becomes increasingly challenging. Thermal comfort manikins can assist here, too - and they are already doing so in the textile, footwear and firefighting industries, where wearer comfort is paramount.
 
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Doable Renewables: Enabling Offshore Wind’s Global Roll-out

Summary: In this episode, Kristian Jacobsen and Kristian Ravn, two of the three co-founders of energy advisory firm Green Ducklings, join the Gamechangers Video Podcast to discuss how they're helping to close the gap between political ambitions for offshore wind, and the challenges of building a competent and efficient supply chain that can turn those visions into reality.
 
Key Take-aways:
 
Industry Transition Mission:
Green Ducklings helps companies transition into the offshore wind industry, regardless of their origin, be it oil and gas or other sectors.
The company identifies existing competencies within companies and helps them understand and remedy the gaps in their DNA for success in the offshore wind industry.
 
Supporting Decision-makers:
Green Ducklings collaborates with developers, supply chain companies, governments, engineering firms, and various decision-makers to increase the odds of success in offshore wind projects.
The focus is on making efficient decisions, bridging interests, and simplifying complex information for decision-makers.
 
Challenges in Industry Expansion:
Offshore wind, initially a northern European phenomenon, now faces challenges in scaling to new markets like Taiwan, Japan, the US, southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and floating wind.Each local context requires reinventing the offshore wind industry, posing challenges in adapting facilities and supply chains.
 
Political Ambitions vs. Realism:
Political targets for 2050 aim for around 800 gigawatts of offshore wind globally. Challenges exist in achieving these targets, with a realistic projection estimating around 130-140 gigawatts by 2030.The need to bridge the gap between political ambitions and feasible implementation is crucial.
 
Disruptive Events and Blind Optimism:
Unforeseen events can disrupt the industry overnight, impacting the deployment of offshore wind. Balancing optimism with a realistic view is essential to avoid blind optimism and ensure sustainable growth.
 
Profitability and Technology Development:
The industry's historical focus on "bigger is better" has led to notorious unprofitability in certain segments. The challenge lies in balancing the pace of technology development to avoid hindering profitability and rendering previous investments redundant.
Complexity and Impact:
The industry's high complexity requires efforts to simplify processes and make meaningful connections throughout the supply chain. Addressing the challenges collectively is crucial for the success of the offshore wind industry.
 
This episode sheds light on the intricate challenges facing the offshore wind industry's global expansion, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, adaptability, and realistic optimism in achieving long-term sustainability and success.
 
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Welcome to the Gamechangers Video Podcast

The Gamechangers Video Podcast brings you stories of people, ideas and technologies that are making the world a better and more sustainable place.
We focus on the amazing work being done by game-changing engineers, scientists, CEOs and others to take us to a better, more sustainable tomorrow. And by doing so, we hope to contribute to accelerating the changes each Gamechanger can bring.
Each episode is recorded in a fully equipped mobile studio van, offering a fresh, new setting for intimate, candid conversations. It sets the scene for showcasing unsung heroes, innovators, and visionaries who are working tirelessly to create positive change, particularly in sustainability and healthier living.