Dear readers, the second issue of 2026 partly serves as a review of the presentations given at the 12th Colloquium on Conveying Technology in Mining, held at Clausthal University of Technology in February this year. The range of topics extends from raw materials projects in Western Australia and the associated prospects for the supply industry, through a joint project on innovations in battery-powered trolley …
The photo shows a Battery-electric trolley truck in underground mining. Source: Epiroc
Focus of this Issue: Conveying Technology
Editorial Mining Report
ISSUE 02/2026 // FOCUS OF THIS ISSUE: Conveying Technology
Modular Submersible Robot for Exploring Flooded Infrastructure in Post-Mining Areas – Development, Challenges and Initial Practical Application
ROV diving from test area 1 to test area 2.The availability of novel, compact multi-sensor scanning technologies – particularly those integrating LiDAR and imaging sensors – enables time-efficient and often sufficiently precise acquisition of underground 3D geometries. Based on this data, colour-augmented point clouds and interconnected 3D models can be generated, opening up a wide range of applications: from geological and engineering-geological mapping to vivid 3D visualisations for exhibitions, such as those in show mines.
Modern methods for processing point clouds, such as so-called “Gaussian Splatting”, have led to significant improvements in rendering sharpness and model accuracy. Using selected examples from the field of historic mining, this contribution provides insights into the potential of current sensor and evaluation methods and illustrates how these technologies can be effectively employed in the documentation and presentation of underground structures.
Authors: Dr. Holger Witthaus, RAG Aktiengesellschaft, Mine Water Management Planning, Mine Water Concepts, Essen/Germany, Mareike Schubert, M.Sc., Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Oliver Langefeld, Clausthal University of Technology, Institute of Geotechnology and Mineral Resources, Department of Mining, Clausthal-Zellerfeld/Germany, Dipl.-Ing. Sebastian Matz, Fraunhofer IOSB, Advanced System Technology branch AST, Department of Underwater Robotics, Ilmenau/Germany
Interaction between mining and AI. (created with OpenAI DALL·E via ChatGPT, 2026)Although the raw materials industry already employs a wide range of mature digital tools, isolated data silos and proprietary systems often prevent a holistic leap in efficiency. Neither purely technical IT integration nor the unstructured deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solves this problem, as generic AI models lack an understanding of the specific physical and geological reality of a mining operation …
Author: Stefan Ebert, Managing Director, Digital Mine GmbH, Aachen/Germany
Safety Requirements for Mixed-Traffic Operation of Autonomous Haulage Systems in Surface Mining
Test bench Setup at the exploratory sandbox in Nivelstein (left). Recorded images of the tested stereo camera during rain (top middle) and snow (bottom middle). The sensors under test as well as the weather station can be seen on the right.This article presented ongoing research efforts at the Institute for Advanced Mining Technologies (AMT) at the RWTH Aachen University, Aachen/Germany, with the goal of enabling the safe integration of autonomous machinery in surface mining operations. It has been highlighted that there is a need for clear standardization of the integration of autonomous machines in mining operations. To this end a novel and structured safety concept for mixed traffic operations is currently being developed. Part of this safety concept is an integrated safety control system. This safety control system heavily relies on perception sensors to maintain a safe state of the Autonomous or Semi-Autonomous Machine (ASAM). Currently there exists no holistic understanding of the impact of the harsh environmental conditions in mining environments on the detection capability of perception systems as well as a standardized testing method to evaluate and validate them under these conditions. For this purpose, a static long-term test stand was built at the AMTs exploratory sandbox, the Nivelstein quartz sand open-pit mine of Nivelsteiner Sandwerke und Sandsteinbrüche GmbH, where perception sensors are examined year-round. This allows for evaluating sensor performance in a wide variety of environmental influences. Overall, these research topics will play an integral role in the safe and economic integration of autonomous machinery in modern mining operations.
Authors: David Ede M.Sc., Adam Pekarski M.Sc., Dr.-Ing. Moritz Ziegler, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Elisabeth Clausen, Institute for Advanced Mining Technologies (AMT), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen Germany
Resource Projects in Western Australia and Perspectives for the Supply Industry
Western Australias’s key midstream investment projects. Source: Government of Western Australia, 2024Western Australia is one of the world’s most important mining regions, hosting major projects in iron ore, gold, lithium, nickel, and rare earths. These operations demand high-performance conveying and logistics solutions as well as technologies capable of operating reliably under extreme climatic conditions.
For the international supply industry, particularly German companies, this creates new opportunities. Expertise in energy-efficient drive systems, automation, wear protection, and digital monitoring technologies is increasingly sought after and can contribute significantly to efficiency, sustainability, and operational safety in large-scale mining projects.
This article presents an overview on resource projects in Western Australia, introduces their technical challenges, and discusses how German innovations may provide valuable impulses for the Australian mining sector. The aim is to highlight perspectives for cooperation between mining companies and suppliers and to illustrate the role of international partnerships in a globalized resource economy.
Authors: Sandra Nowosad, Curtin University, Western Australian School of Mines, Australia, Stephan Oehme, VDMA Mining & Minerals, Germany
Self-Propelled Working Platform for Demolition and Dismantling
Upper platform with overhanging sealing.A self-propelled working platform was developed for the decommissioning work at the Isar 1 nuclear power plant, combining high positioning accuracy for milling work with conventional concrete demolition in a single system. A key feature is its modular design, which can be adapted to different geometries. This made it possible to minimise the volume of milled material requiring final disposal and the associated costs.
Author: Patrick Bädke M.Sc., Head of Project Management, OLKO-Maschinentechnik GmbH, Olfen/Germany
Collaborative Project: Battery-Electric Trolley Innovations for Underground Haulage Vehicles in a Swedish Mine
Eprioc Minetruck MT42 SG Trolley at the mine in Sweden. Photo: EpirocThe global mining industry is facing a profound transformation: decarbonisation, rising energy costs and stricter environmental regulations are forcing operators to explore new avenues for the electrification of their processes. This poses particularly high technical challenges in underground mining, as extreme environmental conditions, long transport distances and heavy loads must be managed.
A flagship project in this transformation process is the expansion of a mine in Rävliden, Sweden. Together with Epiroc and an energy and automation partner, the mining company in Rävliden is pursuing the ambitious goal of implementing fully battery-electric powered underground haulage supported by trolleys. The aim is to make material transport completely emission-free, efficient and cost-effective.
Author: Attila Baki, Key Account Manager, Epiroc Deutschland GmbH, Essen/Germany
Mobile Concrete Transport and Shotcrete Solutions for Mining and Tunnelling
Concrete spraying vehicle.Hermann PAUS Maschinenfabrik GmbH (PAUS) in Emsbüren/Germany, develops and manufactures specialised mobile machinery for mining and tunnelling. With over 50 years experience in the development and construction of high-quality, complex machinery for use in challenging environmental conditions, we have managed to adapt to the ever-increasing demands of mining and tunnelling over the decades and establish ourselves in this international market as a leading supplier of specialised machinery and customised solutions.
Authors: Christian Potthoff M.Eng., Head of Technical Project Management, Wassili Simon, Project Manager, PAUS Maschinenfabrik GmbH, Emsbüren, Germany
Review // Walter Frenz: Reducing Bureaucracy – Using the Examples of Infrastructure, Climate Protection and the Raw Materials Sector
Prof. Walter Frenz, Maitre en Droit Public and Professor of Mining, Environmental and European Law at RWTH Aachen University, Aachen/Germany, has published his latest work, “Bürokratieabbau (Reducing Bureaucracy)”, which approaches a politically charged term with legal objectivity – and is all the more effective for it. Instead of making sweeping complaints about excessive state intervention, Frenz pinpoints precisely where regulatory density becomes a problem in Germany: in infrastructure, climate protection and the raw materials sector.
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