Back to the future for LHM
While Langer Heinrich Mine (LHM) has already produced over 43 million pounds of uranium oxide (U3O8) over a 10-year track record – making it a globally significant player – the mine was paused in May 2018 due to soft market conditions.
In 2020, strengthening uranium fundamentals prompted a new management team to undertake a prefeasibility study into recommissioning the mine. The first step was a deep dive into the operations to inform the scope, engineering, upgrades and investments needed.
Fortunately, in a very traditional sector, Paladin has always embraced innovative technology to give it an edge. In 2011, Paladin worked with Australia-based Metallurgical Systems to implement MI Core®, an industry-leading data and software platform for tracking and optimising mining and resource operations.
“Shutting down and restarting a mine and process plant is a highly complex undertaking. But having access to all the detailed operating data in MI Core ® gave us the information we needed to put our capital to best use, mitigate risks and move ahead faster with confidence of success” says Adrian Safciuc, Paladin’s Sustainability Manager.
“With access to the raw production data across the original plant, we could analyse and interpret it to make accurate forecasts and informed commercial decisions on production, output and investment needed to succeed in a world transitioning to clean energy.”
The numbers stacked up for LHM. Paladin re-opened the mine in January 2024 and forecasts future production of 70+ million pounds of U3O8 in the years ahead. This will help resource nuclear power plants needed to drive the global shift to sustainable energy sources.
How data helps create a sustainable mine, and world
The global push to net zero and tightening compliance make it a very different market than a decade ago. Energy-intensive operations like mines face mounting pressure from investors, markets and regulators to minimise emissions and transparently report progress.
Paladin is committed to playing a significant role in the future of clean energy. It keeps ESG at the core of its business and holds itself accountable. Since 2008, well before it was mandatory, Paladin has reported publicly on its approach to sustainable development.
“Beyond accelerating the feasibility study and restart process, the sustainability module in MI Core® makes it easy for us to track our progress on reducing emissions and meet reporting and compliance regulations that have evolved a lot, even since 2017,” says Adrian.
Paladin’s solid digital and data practices help enable accurate and automated digital reporting capabilities across its metallurgical accounting and production processes.
You can’t improve what you can’t measure
Paladin identified the need to digitally transform its operations, particularly around data use, to stay ahead in a competitive sector.
Like many established mines, it had stored data in multiple systems, databases, spreadsheets and devices on the mine site in Namibia and at its Perth head office. Individual staff members also held proprietary knowledge, which created a continuity risk.
Disconnected systems and manual processes made it slow and complex to analyse data and compile reports needed for commercial, production and sustainability decisions. Paladin worked with their long-term partner, Metallurgical Systems, to streamline analyses and meet compliance reporting obligations.
“We’re committed to MI Core® as it’s the only solution custom-built for mining and minerals, with proven deployments globally. Metallurgical Systems already understood our operation, and its software met our requirements right out of the box – with the flexibility to customise features. It’s a brilliant solution,” says Tyrone Kotze, Technical Services Manager at Langer Heinrich.
The benefits of a digitised, data-driven plant
“Today, underpinning everything we do is using accurate data. Having access to all production data from every step of the process gives us the ability to rapidly analyse and optimise almost any parameter,” says Tyrone.
“We can identify problems before they become disruptive. And we can run detailed reports to satisfy any new sustainability reporting framework – down to a product level,” he says.
Paladin fast-tracked its progress across every operation layer by investing in an end-to-end data solution. For example:
Enhanced process review and optimisation
- Automated data population replaces manual operator and laboratory log sheets, eliminating the need for data entry and running manual data processes.
- Integrated analytics tools such as Tableau and Power BI can quickly create visualisations and process optimisation scenarios without the prompt of an engineer or metallurgist.
Accurate metal accounting inventory tracking
- The digital twin technology performs a plant-wide mass and energy balance, allowing live inventory tracking across the LHM plant to a high level of accuracy
Lower production costs
- MI Core® showed how optimising Bicarbonate Recovery Plant (BRP) performance is critical to lowering emissions due to its direct effect on reagent and water consumption.
- The digital twin that simulates the process is used to perform calculations to maximise recovery and recycling through nanofiltration membranes and to optimise recovery rates.
Early detection of faults enables preventative maintenance
- Calculated data can be compared against measured instrument or laboratory data to identify equipment with calibration issues, enabling plant operators to prevent problems and see live plant stocks and WIP inventory.
Identify and minimise emissions
- Analyse a granular breakdown of Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions across all key categories, immediately identifying how the site could reduce its emissions.
- Identify material suppliers with the lowest Scope 3 transportation Co2e emissions, delivering significant reductions.
MI Core® automates GHG tracking and reporting
- Consolidates all aspects of GHG reporting requirements in one location and stores emission factors, captures activity data and performs emissions calculations.
- Real-life activity data for consumption and deliveries is automatically captured via weighbridges and flowmeters.
- Calculated hourly, emissions can be reported at a high level by Scopes 1, 2 and 3 for all fuels and reagents or down to granular details, such as specific plant area consumption or emissions from an individual supplier’s deliveries.
Importantly, in the new era of legislated accountability, Paladin can generate reports to meet any regulatory compliance framework with a digital taxonomy, including the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER).
The future of mining is sustainable practices
“A point too often overlooked is that operational excellence leads to best-practice sustainability. They are two sides of the same coin. Traditionally compliance is seen as an expensive and box-ticking exercise, sustainability is smart business when you focus on process efficiency,” says John Vagenas, Founder and Managing Director of Metallurgical Systems.
Building on its 10-year production history, Paladin’s Langer Heinrich Mine looks forward to another 17 years of operations. As detailed in their 2023 sustainability report:
For Paladin, embracing data and intelligent technology, enabled by Metallurgical Systems, has solved several core challenges with one solution. It has helped reduce costs, save time, optimise output and set LHM up for a sustainable future.
