Dig_IT - The Foundation For The Sustainable Digital Mine Of The Future
The 5Th of May 2020 Dig_it project, funded under Horizon2020 programme, officially kicked off.
Facing demand of raw materials increase and the necessity for mining industry to move towards innovative and sustainable techniques, Dig_it proposes the development of a Smart Industrial Internet of Things (IIoTp) that will improve the efficiency and the sustainability of mining operations.
More specifically, the Dig_ it platform using sensors at three levels (human, assets, environment) and collecting also historical and market data will feed them into a real time Digital Twins (DTs) that “will provide insights: for predictive maintenance and operation of mining machines and vehicles; to assess, map, and mitigate geotechnical and occupational health risks in real time”.
Beyond the environmental and health ambition, Dig_ it project has also a “social purpose” which is focused on “re-establishment of the trust between mines and the society towards a sustainable future in raw material production”.
Dig_it it is a collaborative project that engages 16 partners coordinated by “Instituto tecnologico de Aragon” and including five mines (Marini Marmi, Ceppo di Gré; Italy, La Parrilla Mine; Spain, Titania AS; Norway, Hannukainen Mine; Finland, Tapojarvi; Norway) that will be used as pilot experiences for the testing phase. In conclusion, the project has some important expected impacts concerning both technology, environmental and socio-economic impacts such as: generation of know how (planned patents, publications in high impact journals and joint public-private publications), safeguard of environmental sustainability (including better energy and water efficiency and reduction in waste, wastewater and emissions), improvement of health and safety performance of the solutions provided throughout the whole considered life cycle, creation of a lower TRL technology base for radical innovations that would help unlock substantial reserves of new or currently unexploited resources within the EU, enhancement of the economic viability of operations in the longer term, enhancement of the competitiveness and creation of added valueand new jobs in raw materials, creation of approximately a $190 billion benefit for mining sector and $130 billion for the metal sector, innovation capacity and integration of knowledge improvement, public knowledge of the mine supply chain’s increase, mitigation of public opinion distrust towards most of the existing supply chain and market barriers towards IIot in mining organisation reduction.