The modern mine is becoming a connected industrial ecosystem where electricity, machinery, automation and data work together to determine how efficiently ore moves, amid growing pressure on African mines to increase output while controlling costs and emissions.
At the centre of this shift is a simple idea: mines can achieve more when power and production are managed as one system combining electrification with automation and digital intelligence which can improve energy efficiency, asset utilisation and process performance while creating safer working environments.
According to Charl Marais, Local Division Manager for ABB South Africa’s Process Automation Process Industries division, this integrated approach is at the heart of ABB’s “Powering Leaner. Driving Cleaner” philosophy.
“Mining is fundamentally an energy and process-efficiency challenge,” Marais says. “Powering Leaner. Driving Cleaner means viewing the mine as an integrated electrical production system, rather than treating power, equipment and automation as separate areas.”
That starts with how electricity is delivered and consumed. Motors, variable-speed drives, grinding, conveying, pumping and ventilation can all be managed according to actual operating demand, helping mines reduce energy intensity without sacrificing throughput.
Integrating power, automation and digital intelligence
Automation adds another layer by continuously monitoring motor load, flow, pressure, temperature, level and ore characteristics.
“This is where automation becomes more than simply replacing manual intervention,” Marais says adding that this improves process stability, reduces variability and can increase equipment availability and utilisation.
ABB’s mining portfolio connects electrification, automation and digital technologies across the mining value chain, including grinding, hoisting, material handling and processing plant.
The opportunity comes when data from drives, motors, electrical systems and process-control infrastructure is analysed together.
This can reveal energy losses, abnormal equipment behaviour and production optimisation opportunities, helping mines move from reactive maintenance and fixed operating parameters towards condition-based maintenance, predictive analytics and dynamic process optimisation.
At the just concluded Electra Mining Africa 2026 in Johannesburg, ABB showcased technologies spanning electrification, automation and digitalization that includes the Compact Secondary Substation, LeanGear Panel, SCADA Panel, SafePlus Air and a Digital Product Display Kiosk with Relays among others.
Turning technology investment into measurable returns
For mines scrutinising technology investments, Marais says integration should be measured through operational outcomes.
“The return ultimately comes down to measurable operational outcomes: reduced unplanned downtime, lower energy and maintenance costs, higher asset availability, improved equipment utilisation and increased process productivity.”
Connecting systems traditionally operating in silos gives operators greater visibility of asset and process performance. It can identify abnormal conditions earlier, link energy consumption with production, optimise equipment loading and support better maintenance and process-control decisions.
“That is where we see the real ROI,” Marais says adding that rather than simply installing new technology, mines can extract more performance from existing assets while introducing new capabilities where they deliver value.
Energy losses, production bottlenecks, equipment degradation and process variability can then be targeted and improvements scaled across operations.
Power reliability remains important as South African mines pursue electrification. In this, ABB Ability™ 800xA System, combined with an Energy Management System can help monitor electrical networks and manage changing demand, including load shedding, frequency stability and generator control as it works with switchgear, substations and protection systems to support stable power.
ABB Ability™ Energy Manager provides visibility of energy demand and optimizes energy use; variable-speed drives adjust motor speed to process requirements; and ABB Ability Ventilation Optimizer adjusts ventilation according to actual operational requirement, achieving huge energy savings. These technologies can reduce wasted energy and operating costs while lowering emissions.
Predictive maintenance, safer operations and local support
Digitalisation is also transforming maintenance by using connected assets, smart sensors and ABB Ability™ Industrial Software to identify changes in patterns that signal early equipment deterioration, with Marais noting that “ABB Ability™ uses data from connected assets to identify early signs of equipment deterioration.”
Predictive warnings enable maintenance teams to investigate and plan interventions before failures occur, while AI can recommend corrective actions based on historical data.
Safety is another area where connectivity can make a significant difference, as “automation and remote technologies reduce workers’ exposure to hazardous environments by taking people out of the immediate risk area,” Marais says.
Technologies such as automated robot chargers, remote equipment operation, real-time location tracking, proximity detection, geofencing and sensors can help keep workers away from dangerous blasting activities while monitoring people, machinery and changing conditions.
Technology must also be supported by both local capability and remote operation centers because, as Marais says, “mining does not stop because a site is remote, so the support model cannot depend solely on physical proximity.”
ABB works through local channels and service partners, combining market and technical expertise with its wider engineering and service organisation, while training, certification, technical support, remote diagnostics and lifecycle support help bring specialised expertise closer to mines.
The objective is continuous asset availability that gives operators a combination of local boots on the ground and global technical expertise behind them – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
