The mining industry makes a huge impact on each of our day-to-day lives. Smart phones, computers, vehicles, and even innovative medical technologies are made possible because of the raw materials provided by the mining industry. As the world economy continues to transform and be steered toward decarbonizing our energy infrastructure, metal and fertilizer miners are navigating particularly turbulent waters with unpredictable commodity prices and demand shifts.
Many miners are responding to these challenges by putting their mines into “care and maintenance” mode, where most mining activities are idled, but the site is actively managed to allow for reactivation when economic conditions improve. While this approach may temporarily alleviate financial pressure, this strategy has likely created vulnerabilities in existing reliability programs.