27 Aug 2024 NRE-ElectRA-project

NRE-ElectRA. Electric, Remote control, Automatic Narrow Reef mining Equipment      

 

 

Project title:  NRE-ElectRA. Electric, Remote control, Automatic Narrow Reef mining Equipment
Duration of the project: 30.09.2023. – 31.12.2025.
Project leader: University of Zagreb – Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering (UNIZG-RGNF)
Consortium:
DOK-ING d.o.o., Croatia
Probotica d.o.o., Croatia
Zavod za gradbenistvo Slovenije, ZAG, Slovenia

Contact person at UNIZG-RGNF:  Professor Sibila Borojević Šoštarić, PhD

Project description

NRE ElectRA project will develop and commercialize innovative, remote-controlled, electric-powered equipment that has the main function of mechanized production of strategic metals from Ultra-Low mining profiles ranging from 0.9 to 1.7 meters. In 27 months of project duration, NRE ElectRA consortia will bring 3 machines (NRE Dozer and NRE Drill Rig, TRL7 (Technological Readiness Level), and NRE Support Rig, TRL6) that together complete the mechanized process of Drilling, Excavating, and Supporting to TRL8 by conducting minimum 90 days continuous on-site machines testing. Received data will be used for: (1) development of the specific machine components; (2) creating complete machine risk assessment for underground applications, and (3) costumer support (maintenance, serviceability, operators training, after sales support, user manual etc) by the end of the project. Probotica will support development of NRE sensors, while ZAG will conduct Life Cycle Analysis (LCA).

Commercialization of the NRE fleet will be led by DOK-ING, supported by UNIZG-RGNF (GoToMarket strategy), and focused to three circles of potential customers: (1) Anglo American narrow reef platinum mines; (2) narrow reef platinum mines worldwide hosted in layered mafic intrusions (58 underground mines) and (3) similar type of thin, subhorizontal layered deposits European Cu- kupferschiefer.

 

Project objectives and scopes

Overall objective:
To develop, test and commercialize innovative, remote-controlled, electric-powered equipment serving for mechanized production of precious metals from Ultra-low mining profiles (0.9-1.7m).

 

Specific objectives

1. Parallel testing of the two NRE fleet prototypes at South African Republic and Zimbabve Pt-reef mines, followed by data analysing
2. Development of the commercial ready NRE Equipment
3. Implementation of efficient GTM Strategy including
   1. Primary and secondary market analysis
   2. Development of IP data protection strategy
   3. Development of ERMA investment case and ensuring funding for new production line in Zagreb
4. LCA comparing NRE extraction method to conventional mining methods
5. Promotion and popularization of the NRE fleet via participation at world-class exhibition of the mining equipment and scientific and professional conferences, publication of open access manuscripts, delivering thematic on-line workshop
6. Development of Customer support (training programmes, virtual-reality training programme, maintenance technicians etc)
7. Development of production Quality Assurance procedures (Production phase quality checkpoints procedures for each individual machine; Standard warranty claim procedures)

 

The role of UNIZG-RGNF – promotion of the brest-mining

UNIZG-RGNF is project coordinator, leader of the WP1 Project management and WP5
Dissemination and communication, member of the Steering Committee. Participating in WP0
Development of efficient GoToMarket strategy for NRE fleet.