Africa’s mining industry faces persistent challenges with power supply, ranging from intermittent grid availability to logistical hurdles in fuel supply for off-grid operations. These issues not only disrupt mining operations, but also inflate costs, increase emissions, and hinder overall productivity and efficiency.

In response to these concerns, electrical data analytics company VoltVision is leading the charge with digital solutions aimed at transforming how industrial companies manage their power and address the complex issues associated with electricity supply.

The company uses an Internet-of-Things data extraction gateway to capture high- resolution category one power data from high- and medium-voltage electrical equipment across industrial electrical networks, explains MD Manoli Yannaghas.

This retrofit solution requires no shutdowns or capital expenditure (capex) and typically achieves a return on investment of three to six months. The solution delivers near real-time automated meter readings quickly across the entire network, regardless of equipment age or manufacturer.

Digitising power in this way is transformative for mines, says Yannaghas, explaining that it eliminates the previously complex and time-consuming task of manually collecting meter readings from various sources such as substations and equipment meters, incomers supervisory control and data acquisition equipment.

“By providing accurate, time-stamped, auditable real-time power data, operations and management teams now have complete power usage visibility, saving on time spent manually collating readings, extrapolating data from spreadsheets and sifting through lengthy reports to find relevant information,” says Yannaghas.

Once the power data has been collated and analysed, a series of simple, but highly relevant dashboards are displayed on a cloud-based AI platform, ViViD. These dashboards help clients better understand where their power is coming from (grid, generator or on-site renewable sources), how it is behaving and where it is being used within the operation.

“Dashboards provide remote access to insights that can facilitate decision-making at all levels, from junior onsite engineers responsible for the day-to-day performance of assets, to senior staff at head office for reporting, planning and budgeting purposes.

“In short, VoltVision’s clients are no longer running their power operations blind, they now have access to data and insights to make better and faster decisions,” says Yannaghas.

VoltVision works with several clients in the African mining industry, including Barrick Gold, Endeavour Mining, Resolute Mining, Centamin and Allied Gold.

Managing Power Usage
Effective power management holds the promise of substantial efficiency gains and can reduce static power costs and emissions by up to 10%. VoltVision offers solutions that tackle power management complexities head-on, says Yannaghas.

“We monitor and display power factor at both distribution and equipment levels, enabling clients to pinpoint and rectify inefficiencies directly at their source. This capability not only enhances overall system efficiency, but also improves cost-effectiveness.”

In addition to monitoring power factor, the company tracks and visualises reactive power flow between distribution points. This capability enhances the efficiency of off-grid power generation methods, such as solar.

VoltVision also assists in understanding and optimising how diesel generators work as a group at mining sites. By providing insights that help operators maximise efficiency in response to fluctuating demand and environmental conditions, the company supports the sustainable management of energy resources.

“As mining companies increasingly invest in onsite solar energy,” Yannaghas continues, “VoltVision offers precise modelling of power profiles. This ensures correct sizing and seamless integration of new power sources, minimising project risks such as integration failures and reducing capex.”

Understanding Trip Events
Further, VoltVision aids clients in identifying the precise root causes of power trips onsite. These interruptions can stem from various factors, including poor power quality originating from the grid or within the onsite network, or both. VoltVision specialises in identifying and addressing these underlying issues to enhance operational reliability.

For instance, voltage imbalances and frequency fluctuations are increasingly prevalent as renewable-energy sources integrate into Africa’s broader grid. VoltVision monitors grid voltages and frequencies allowing clients to manage voltage phase alignment more accurately and diagnose outage causes effectively. Time-stamped data allows clients to provide feedback to utility companies and enables billing verification using auditable and robust evidence for feedback and resolution.

In addition, sub-optimal settings on protection relays and electrical equipment can lead to localised outages over time. Insights from VoltVision’s ViViD dashboards allow clients to optimise the setup of electrical protection relays, thus reducing downtime owed to ‘nuisance tripping’.

Further, VoltVision monitors and displays the total harmonic distortion produced by variable speed drives (VSD). This capability provides early warnings of any developing VSD faults and aids in designing and integrating harmonic filters, ensuring compliance with Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association’s rule of not exceeding 2% current total harmonic distortion.

Managing Blackouts
Managing power blackouts is another critical aspect where VoltVision provides value. Mining companies connected to the grid in Africa often experience complete power outages. The company’s solutions empower clients with real-time information on the stability of power supply, enabling them to safely reconnect to the grid at optimal time and avoid repeated interruptions. This minimises disruption reducing downtime and lessens reliance on backup generators.

“We are helping our clients in the mining sector to accelerate their digital transition,” says Yannaghas.

“Our unique approach to how electrical data is both acquired and analysed supports companies in overcoming complex power issues. “This power transparency provides the decision support needed to reduce power consumption and CO₂ emissions by up to 10% and achieve real efficiencies across existing operations.”

VoltVision will be discussing its solutions at Electra Mining on September 5 at 14:30 in Hall 9.