Mechanisation key for sustainability, says ABB exec

The mining industry is increasingly moving to automation to remove people from hazardous situations, but this also results in higher energy costs, ABB global mining manager Leonard Eros said at the Electra Mining Africa 2016 conference in Johannesburg. He pointed out that the move to automation led to safety and productivity improvements, but that mechanisation, automation and autonomous machines would consume more electricity in an already energy-intensive industry.