Adani arm pioneers as India’s Coal Industry Takes Its First Step Toward Digital Mining
Team News Riveting
Ambikapur, January 2
Under the guidance of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), a groundbreaking development has occurred in India’s mining sector.
For the first time, the dozer push mining technology, based on digital technology, has been successfully tested in India. Adani Natural Resources, a leading private mining company, conducted this successful trial last week at the PEKB (Parsa East and Kete Basen) mine in the Udaipur block of Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh.
The trial marks a significant achievement in mining technology, leveraging unmanned machines for coal extraction. This technique represents a milestone in the journey toward digital autonomous mining, ensuring improved productivity and safety.
The dozer push mining trial employs an automated (unmanned) drill machine to perform cast blasting. Post-blasting, the blasted material is relocated using a specially designed large, automated dozer to the decoaled area. This method is seen as a potential solution to challenges faced in traditional truck-shovel mining, especially during the monsoon season, when haul roads become muddy, impacting safety and productivity. By reducing dependence on trucks and excavators, this method optimizes excavation activities and lowers unit costs, offering a more sustainable and efficient approach to mining. Additionally, since this technology eliminates the need for trucks, it enhances safety standards and aligns with PEKB mine’s commitment to robust safety measures.
Dr M P Roy, Chief Scientist at CSIR-CIMFR, praised the success of the dozer push technology trial by Adani Natural Resources, stating, “This new technology has the potential to revolutionize open-cast mining operations in India. The dozer push mining method is a modern alternative to traditional dragline and truck/shovel excavation. It not only accelerates and improves mining efficiency but also reduces operational costs.”
The trial was led by CSIR-CIMFR Director Professor Arvind Kumar Mishra, with critical contributions from Dr M P Roy, Dr Vivek Kumar Himanshu, R S Yadav, Suraj Kumar and Dr Ashish Kumar Vishwakarma, who played pivotal roles in the successful execution of the first blast using dozer push mining technology at the PEKB mine. This landmark achievement places India at the forefront of adopting cutting-edge mining technologies, promising a significant impact on the future of the sector.
