*Bhubaneswar: The two-day “Sustainable Mining Summit”, organized by Federation of Indian Minerals Industries (FIMI), was inaugurated, here on Monday.
The Summit is going to deliberate on various mining issues concerning sustainability, which will result in a road-map for sustainable mining in India.
Inaugirating the summit, Odisha industries minister Sampad Chandra Swain said, “It is necessary for the mining industry to focus on sustainable development. Government of Odisha has taken many progressive steps to facilitate the development of mining industry in a number of ways such as continuous auction of mineral blocks, introduction of technology in online platforms such as mineral dispatch and supply chain in mining ”.
As India is approaching towards achieving the long-term strategy to reach net-zero by 2070, it is necessary to develop a roadmap, to address the issues and integrate sustainability for decarbonizing the sector. Various stakeholders, including Government agencies, regulators, industry stalwarts, practicing managers, academicians and strategists came together on this platform to deliberate on the very important issues of Indian mining history.
Gracing the stage were Prabodh Mohanty, Member, FIMI Managing Committee and Arun Misra, Chairman of Governing Council, FIMI-SMI, CEO Hindustan Zinc.
Mishra said, “Mining industry is the pillar for creation and success of all industries in India”.
Pankaj Satija, Chairman, Skill Council for Mining Sector, said “With the introduction of star rating in mining, most of the mining companies have moved forward in their sustainably journey. However, goal posts are always changing with increased expectations from different stakeholders. We can always move towards net zero mining with equipment running on battery or hydrogen and plants running on renewables power. Industry needs to work on interconnectedness of water, energy, climate change and biodiversity”.
More than 200 participants attended the summit.
During the summit, FIMI’s Study report on ‘Adoption of Cleaner Vehicles for the Indian Mining Industry” was released. The study was undertaken in association with Deloitte, which played a crucial role in conducting this study and preparing the report
This study report provides key insights into the application of cleaner fuels such as electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel, biofuels, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) in mining operations, including ancillary activities. The study further outlines strategic recommendations and a phased roadmap to facilitate early adoption, scale deployment, and ensure long-term sustainability of cleaner fuel-based HEMMs in Indian mining operations. The study was undertaken under the able guidance of Steering Committee comprising of industry experts and original equipment manufacturers.
