The Global Mining Guidelines Group (GMG) has introduced two new working groups on cybersecurity and the electric mine.
GMG launched the working groups to create safe and sustainable mines.
The Cybersecurity Working Group will help mining stakeholders who look to design safe, secure and resilient cybersecurity infrastructure that adheres to regulatory and industry’s best practices.
This group will guide the mining industry to access and implement existing solutions and be responsive to the industry’s priorities.
It will also seek projects that will benefit from GMG’s collaborative principles and processes.
GMG Working Groups vice-chair and Symbiotic Innovations principal innovator Andrew Scott said: “As digitalisation increases in our industry, so does the risk of cybersecurity incidents. Industry-wide knowledge sharing and collaboration are important for mitigating these risks.
“The topic has come up in many existing GMG projects including those on autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and interoperability, and it is clear that cybersecurity is a high-priority concern among mining stakeholders.”
Working in partnership with Mining and Metals Information Sharing Analysis Centre (MM-ISAC), this group will identify existing mining projects and prevent duplication.
Meanwhile, the Electric Mine Working Group strives to enhance the advancement and adoption of underground electric mining technologies.
According to GMG, this group will cover all-electric technologies that are replacing those that typically use diesel.
The primary objectives of this group include developing guidelines and sharing information on how to use and test electric technologies, as well as designing electric mines.
GMG managing director Heather Ednie said: “The shift toward the electric mine in surface and underground contexts is indicative of our industry’s growing commitment to reducing greenhouse gases and providing safer working environments.
“Previous GMG work on battery electric vehicles in underground mining brought together a community of companies leading the way in developing and adopting electric mining technologies.
The group will also team-up with the International Commission on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and their Innovation for Cleaner Safer Vehicles (ICSV) initiative to ensure that the new initiatives support each other.
These two groups are set to form a committee to refine the scope and objectives, as well as identify early projects.
