WorldWide Drilling Resource

37 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® NOVEMBER 2019 Mining Report from Germany Adapted from a Press Release by VDMA Mining Mining technology is one of the most export-oriented branches of the German engineering industry, and the VDMA Mining organization represents these companies from the open-cast mining/materials handling; underground mining; mining processing technology; and consulting, research, and development sectors. A recent semiannual report from the group shows an upward trend in German mining technology continues. j Global demand for mining technology from Germany is increasing, following the difficult period between 2012 and 2017. Incoming orders rose 35% and turnover went up by 40% in the first half of 2019, compared to the same period in 2018. j The industry has coped well with last year’s cessation of German hard coal mining, with companies using the time be- tween the decision to end coal mining and the closure of the last coal mine in Germany, to target more new customers abroad. This year, the U.S., China, Australia, and Russia are the largest individual markets alongside Europe. These coun- tries are also among the world’s largest producers of coal, mining more than 7 billion tons in 2018, predominantly to cover domestic energy requirements. j VDMA Mining has launched the Roadmap 2035 initiative with the aim of securing the global competitiveness of the German mining equipment sector. It provides a platform for manufacturers in the association to discuss the future of min- ing in regards to data security, utilization of data streams, and the definition of data interfaces, then work together to devise solutions. Participants in Roadmap 2035 will also examine how to ensure a very high technical standard and inno- vation leadership. This includes investigating further aspects such as performance, availability, ease of maintenance, or service life, along with the problem-solving expertise secured through employee training and skills. The roadmap tackles the recruitment of young talent, as well as industrial and academic training. j The industry sees further potential in the growing demand for raw materials for energy transition and future technologies. The corresponding investment made by mining companies in extraction and mineral processing technology for lithium, cobalt, tantalum, rare earths, and neodymium are reflected in the exports of the mining equipment manufacturers. In Germany, especially in Saxony, investments have been made in new lithium mining projects. The Zinnwald Lithium proj- ect south of Dresden recently announced plans had been confirmed by a feasibility study to mine about 5000 tons of lithi- um annually. In Sadisdorf, also south of Dresden, the Australian mining and technology company Lithium Australia plans to mine lithium to meet the growing demand for the raw material from the electromobility sector. MIN