Automation and Water-Saving Technologies

The document examines how disruptive technologies in mining—categorized into digitalization enablers, big data integrators, productivity optimizers, and sustainability improvers—affect different economic contexts. It highlights that while automation increases efficiency and safety, it risks displacing low-skilled workers, particularly Indigenous populations in Australia and local workers in Mali. Conversely, water-saving technologies in South Africa, such as closed-loop recycling and dry tailings disposal, offer positive spillovers for local communities through improved water access and infrastructure.

• Mining automation in the Pilbara region of Australia has led to significant productivity gains and cost reductions. Rio Tinto reported that autonomous trucks operated approximately 700 hours more than conventional trucks in 2017, contributing to roughly 15 per cent lower load and haul unit costs, while Fortescue Metals Group saw 32 per cent productivity gains.
• Automation disproportionately impacts the Aboriginal population in Western Australia due to a significant gap in formal education and skills. Census data shows that 55 per cent of Aboriginal people in the region are employed as machine operators and drivers, roles most at risk of replacement by autonomous systems.
• The Syama mine in Mali, designed as a fully automated underground operation, achieved an immediate 15 per cent reduction in production costs, dropping from USD 881 per ounce to USD 746 per ounce. The mine utilizes the AutoMine® and OptiMine® systems to increase equipment efficiency, with some machines operating 22 hours a day compared to 15 hours previously.
• In Mali, the transition to fully automated mining creates a mismatch between available human capacity and the demand for new, highly skilled roles. While traditional roles like drillers and truck drivers are not created, new positions in machine monitoring and maintenance require skills not immediately available in the local community.
• South Africa employs several water-saving technologies to combat critical water shortages, including closed-loop water recycling, improved evaporation control, and dry tailings disposals. Anglo American has committed to reducing fresh water use in water-scarce regions by 20 per cent and increasing recycling levels to 75 per cent by 2020.
• Water reclamation partnerships in eMalahleni, South Africa, have provided tangible community benefits. A project involving Anglo American and South32 reduced the percentage of the population without access to drinking water from 14 to 2 per cent and used mining waste to build over 60 affordable houses.

APA

Ramdoo, I. (2019). Automation and Water-Saving Technologies. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/igf-case-study-water-techologies.pdf

Chicago

Ramdoo, Isabelle. Automation and Water-Saving Technologies. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2019. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/igf-case-study-water-techologies.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ramdoo |first1=Isabelle |title=Automation and Water-Saving Technologies |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2019 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/igf-case-study-water-techologies.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ramdoo2019automation, author = {Ramdoo, Isabelle}, title = {{Automation and Water-Saving Technologies}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2019}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/igf-case-study-water-techologies.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }