“The ongoing technological disruptions are poised to reshape the metals and mining industry, focusing on sustainability, efficiency, and innovation,” Benoit Verreault, Executive Vice-President of Maestria Solutions.

Speaker, columnist, and technical writer Benoit Verreault has been involved in several organisations as an administrator, board of directors, and technical advisor. He has developed a large clientele in Canada and several countries, from Norway to India, the United States, the Middle East, and Australia, from scratch.

Involved for over 25 years in projects using information technology applications in manufacturing in Canada and overseas. Has been CEO for many years for the Centre de Geomatic du Québec, a Technology Transfer Centre specialising in Geomatics (CCTC), Gus Technologie and Groupe Uni-Spec. Worked among other mandates with Hydro-Quebec, Alcan Research Centre (now RTA), Bombardier and Régie d'Assurance Agricole. Implementation of mobile solutions (software + electronics) for Aluminium Smelters. For example, the measurement of the current distribution in the electrolysis cells is recognised as the best in its class worldwide and used in many countries.

AL Circle: We are witnessing a great change happening around us in terms of technology. There are disruptions and innovations involving technology. How do you see this impacting the metals & mining industry?

Benoit Verreault: The ongoing technological advancements are likely to significantly impact the metals and mining industry, with specific implications for aluminium production. Here are some key points to consider:

• Technological innovations are expected to drive improvements in energy efficiency within industrial plants, including those in the metals and mining sector. This is particularly relevant for aluminium production, known for its energy-intensive nature.
• Integrating automation and robotics in industrial processes can enhance efficiency, reduce operational costs, and improve overall safety. In the metals and mining industry, this may involve automated systems for mining operations and robotic solutions for complex tasks within aluminium smelting plants.
• Adopting digital technologies and data analytics can optimize production processes and supply chain management in the metals and mining sector. Real-time data analysis can lead to better decision-making and resource allocation. In the context of aluminium production, digitalisation may offer insights into energy consumption patterns, allowing for more precise control over the production process.
• The emphasis on sustainable practices may drive the incorporation of renewable energy sources in the metals and mining industry. This shift towards cleaner energy can positively impact the environmental footprint of aluminium production.
• The aluminium industry is highly energy-dependent, so integrating renewable energy sources like solar and wind power can reduce the overall carbon footprint.

In summary, the ongoing technological disruptions are poised to reshape the metals and mining industry, focusing on sustainability, efficiency, and innovation. For aluminium, a key player in this industry, these changes present opportunities to address environmental concerns, improve energy efficiency, and foster a more sustainable production process.

AL Circle: How do you think the aluminium industry is embracing exponential technologies? Can you please share a few use cases?

Benoit Verreault: Integrating robotics and automation into aluminium production processes can enhance efficiency, precision, and safety. Automated systems can handle material handling, machining, and quality control tasks.

Sensors and IoT devices combined with proper processing via statistics, heuristics, and artificial intelligence should be used to monitor and optimise various aspects of aluminium production, such as equipment performance, energy consumption, and predictive maintenance. This can lead to improved overall efficiency and reduced downtime.

AI algorithms can analyse sensor data to predict when equipment will likely fail, enabling proactive maintenance and minimising downtime. We are only beginning to see and understand the applicability of its techniques in current factory operations; however, efforts must be made to develop prototypes by technical teams and good external resources and then take the steps that allow industrialisation; this makes it possible to integrate the results into the in the production line. This is genuinely unavoidable work for factories that want to ensure their long-term sustainability, a must-do road to work on in the next 5 years for aluminium producers. AI techniques and Machine learning algorithms can optimise production processes, helping to achieve higher yields, reduce waste, and enhance resource utilisation.

AL Circle: How can technology play an important role in making the aluminium industry more sustainable?

Benoit Verreault: Technology can play a crucial role in making the aluminium industry more sustainable by addressing various environmental and even social challenges. Implementing advanced smelting technologies, such as inert anode technology and improved cell designs, can reduce emissions and reduce energy consumption during the aluminium smelting process. Also, good work is done for utilising technologies for energy recovery, such as capturing and reusing waste heat, which can enhance overall energy efficiency in the production process. Shifting towards renewable energy sources like solar and wind power for electricity generation can reduce the carbon footprint of aluminium production, it's already done piece by piece worldwide and must continue, but many industrial sites have an edge since hydropower is a common energy source for aluminium smelting as a typical situation for a few productor, but still optimising hydropower generation and distribution systems can further improve sustainability. Implementing advanced sorting and separation technologies can enhance the efficiency of aluminium recycling processes, making it easier to recover and reuse aluminium from various sources, knowing that recycled aluminium offers enormous energy savings compared to producing primary aluminium.

Downstream of the actual production process, carbon capture and storage exist, and the path to follow for fossil fuels, like oil, coal and natural gas users, for their power generation. Implementing those technologies with proper monitoring can help capture and store carbon emissions generated during aluminium production, mitigating the industry's impact on climate change.

Process optimisation via digitalisation, data analytics, and AI can optimise production processes, minimising waste, and energy consumption while maximising efficiency.

In a complementary vision role of the mining and primary and downstream aluminium industry, using technology to engage with local communities and address social issues associated with aluminium production, such as job creation, education, and health, can contribute to overall sustainability and improve social acceptance.

In almost all cases, we need a collaboration between industry stakeholders, research institutions, and technology providers, which is crucial for implementing these advancements effectively.

AL Circle: What are the key challenges for tech adoption in the aluminium industry?

Benoit Verreault: Like many others, the aluminium industry faces several challenges in adopting new technologies. With no surprise, the implementation of new technologies often requires significant upfront investments. Many companies in the aluminium industry may find it challenging to allocate resources for these initial costs. Moreover, integrating new technologies with existing systems and processes can be complex. Compatibility issues between different technologies and legacy systems may arise, requiring careful planning and execution. Data security and privacy concerns are becoming a serious topic for operators of industrial sites. Like many similar big industrial site operators, the aluminium industry involves sensitive data related to production processes, quality control, and supply chain management critical for their operations. Adopting new technologies may raise data security and privacy concerns, necessitating robust cybersecurity measures.

The human factor is an essential component necessary for the smooth operation of a plant. Implementing advanced technologies often requires a skilled workforce. The aluminium industry may face challenges in training existing employees or hiring individuals with the necessary skills to operate and maintain new technologies.

Aluminium production is energy-intensive, and adopting certain technologies may impact energy consumption. Companies need to balance the benefits of technology adoption with concerns about environmental sustainability and regulatory requirements.

The aluminium industry, like many traditional industries, can be risk-averse. Companies may be hesitant to adopt new technologies without clear evidence of their effectiveness and return on investment, and a wait-and-see attitude might be a good short-term strategy for portfolio managers, but it is not a good choice overall because you may be in a situation where you are well behind the others quickly.

Rapid technological advancements and market shifts, combined with international or local regulations, can make it challenging for companies to keep up with the latest innovations. Failing to adapt to evolving market dynamics may lead to a competitive disadvantage. Overcoming these challenges requires a strategic approach, collaboration between industry stakeholders, and a willingness to embrace innovation while addressing the specific needs and concerns of the aluminium industry.

AL Cirle: Can you please elaborate on some capability areas of Maestria Solutions and how it is enabling the aluminium companies to go digital?

Benoit Verreault: Our company provides tools and solutions for the aluminium industry, with expertise in performance improvement, communication, and tracking.

Our main driving line is that we offer analytics tools that allow aluminium companies to gather and analyse large amounts of data from their operations. We integrate advanced analytics techniques that can help in predictive maintenance, optimizing production processes, and making data-driven decisions.

 mVa Profito: A solution for anode drop measurement that allows quicker incident detection and recovery on aluminium cells, leading to improved current efficiency and energy consumption used in many smelters worldwide.

CICERO: A solution for security and plant operation that communicates and transmits messages of any event requiring the staff's attention, using multilingual messages and various means of diffusion coming from process control or other sources.

ProMETO: A solution for casting that tracks crucibles for the transportation of molten aluminium over the road or between production installations, using logistical and geographical tracking, optimal planning, and risk management, minimizing dependence on human intervention between different parties concerned by the real-time information coming from the casting to enable smooth operation and follow-up. This tool additionally guarantees the traceability of individual aluminium alloy batches, a vital aspect in assuring the adherence of metal characteristics to customer requirements and ensuring prompt delivery to the customers.

AI+ML: Maestria Solutions does not stop there. We may offer analytics tools that allow aluminium companies to gather and analyse large amounts of data from their operations. Advanced analytics can help in predictive maintenance, optimizing production processes, and making data-driven decisions. By combining the information-rich time-series data harvested through the Maestria tool, which may be leveraged toward the development of an anomaly detection algorithm by some advanced AI technique and Machine Learning, we have demonstrated, with significant results, that there are useful and interesting hidden information, that enable detection, with a certain reaction time, of some anomalies (somehow name incident also) that could negatively impact the operation of the cell. In some cases, some anodic incidents can be detected 2 or 3 days before they happen. There are many benefits to predicting the time to failure. Predictive coming anode or cell incidents and necessary adjustment or maintenance associated help optimize production processes and schedules, saving both time and money.

Additionally, it can help quickly identify potential problems, usually a known list of typical anodic incidents, before they cause a breakdown and/or impact the reduction reaction efficacity. By predicting time to failure, organizations can ensure that their equipment runs as efficiently as possible and avoid costly downtime. In addition, predictive analytics can also help identify the root causes of failures so that corrective action can be taken before a system fails. We are open to discussing this technology breakthrough with smelters to make it available and share the tools to help them reach this capability.