Through Expo Minera 2023, Epiroc, world leader in innovative, safe and sustainable drilling equipment, rock excavation equipment and construction tools, presented a strategy to accelerate sustainability in mining.
“Accelerating the transformation is as important as increasing collaboration between stakeholders in the mining sector to position Latin America in the world”, that was the call made by Nelson Trejo, president of the Epiroc parts and services division, during his presentation at Expo Minera 2023 that brought together the regional mining sector in Panama.
In his speech, the manager of the Swedish company urged a regional agreement to strengthen and convert Latin America into a mining development cluster that leads the sustainable supply of metals and minerals required for the energy transition in the coming decades.
Trejo, a mining engineer with 20 years of experience, recalled that the demand for critical metals and minerals will increase considerably as clean energy transitions accelerate. Substances such as copper, nickel, cobalt, and graphite are essential components in many of today’s fast-growing clean energy technologies, from wind turbines and power grids to electric vehicles.
“The strategy that we propose at Epiroc starts with people and ranges from their safety, diversity and inclusion, to a greater involvement of communities and benefits reflected in local development. A next accelerator would be electrification that will contribute to zero emissions in mining, so necessary to counteract climate change and finally automation and digitization are other accelerators that will enable safer mining and open opportunities for people who previously felt limited to work in this sector. The collaboration between government, miners, suppliers and academia is fundamental in the implementation of this strategy towards a more sustainable mining industry”, he stated.
Employment opportunities
Due to the expansion of its operations in Panama and the region, Epiroc is expanding its technical service team in the country, so that, at the stand at ExpoMinera Internacional 2023, visitors will be able to learn about the required professional profiles, the necessary skills, to venture into the Epiroc world.
In addition, Epiroc presents at its stand (No. 4 and 5) a virtual experience with maintenance simulators for the latest generation COP drills, with which operators and technicians are usually trained before going to a real mining environment. The visitor will come into contact with the technological tools that point to the mining of the future.
