Umthelela Wokusimama ngaphakathi Kwemboni Yezimayini

I-COP26, okuhlosiwe kwe-net-zero, kanye noshintsho olusheshayo oluya ekusimameni okukhulu kunemithelela ejulile embonini yezimayini. Ochungechungeni lwe-Q&As, sixoxa ngezinselele ezihambisanayo namathuba. Siqala ngokubhekisisa isimo esikhona sale mboni ebucayi emhlabeni jikelele, ngo-Ellen Thomson, PGNAA & Minerals Senior Applications Special kwaThermo Fisher Scientific.

Asivamisile ukubona okuhlosiwe okuhlobene ngokuqondile nezimayini, ngale komgomo okwabelwana ngawo we-net-zero. Ingabe kukhona ukuzibophezela okuqondile okuvela ku-COP26 okuzoba nomthelela kubavukuzi?

Ngicabanga ukuthi kulungile ukusho ukuthi, ngokujwayelekile, kukhona ukubongwa okungaphansi kokuthi zibaluleke kangakanani izimayini emizamweni yethu ehlangene yokufinyelela umhlaba onamandla, ohlanzekile.

Thatha izibopho ze-COP26 mayelana nezokuthutha - isinqamuleli sika-2040 sakho konke ukuthengiswa kwezimoto ezintsha kungabi ne-zero-emissions (2035 yezimakethe ezihamba phambili)1. Ukufeza lezo zinhloso kuncike kakhulu ekuqongeleleni izimpahla ze-cobalt, i-lithium, i-nickel, i-aluminium, futhi, ngaphezu kwakho konke, ithusi. Ukugaywa kabusha ngeke kuhlangabezane nalesi sidingo ‒ nakuba ukugaywa kabusha okusebenzayo kubaluleke kakhulu ‒ ngakho sidinga ukukhipha izinsimbi ezengeziwe emhlabathini. Futhi yindaba efanayo enamandla avuselelekayo, acishe abe yithusi ngokuphindwe kahlanu kunezinye izindlela ezivamile2.

Ngakho-ke, yebo, abavukuzi babhekene nezinselelo ezifanayo nezinye izimboni mayelana nokufinyelela imigomo ebekiwe, ukunciphisa umthelela wemvelo, nokwenza ngcono ukusimama, kodwa ngokumelene nesizinda semikhiqizo yabo kubaluleke kakhulu ekufezekeni kwezinye izinhloso zokusimama.

Kuzoba lula kangakanani ukunqwabelanisa izinto zensimbi ukuze kuhlangatshezwane nesidingo esikhulayo?

Sikhuluma ngokwanda okukhulu nokuqhubekayo, ngakho-ke ngeke kube lula. Ngethusi, isibonelo, kukhona izibikezelo zokushoda kwamathani ayizigidi eziyi-15 ngonyaka ngonyaka ka-2034, ngokusekelwe ekuphumeni kwezimayini zamanje3. Izimayini ezindala zizodinga ukuxhashazwa ngokugcwele, futhi amadiphozithi amasha atholwe futhi alethwe emanzini.

Noma iyiphi indlela, lokhu kusho ukucubungula i-ore yezinga eliphansi ngokuphumelelayo. Izinsuku zokumbiwa kwensimbi enensimbi engu-2 noma 3% sezihambile kakhulu, njengoba lezo zinsimbi seziphelile. Abasebenzi basezimayini zethusi njengamanje bajwayele ukubhekana nokugxilwa kuka-0.5%. Lokhu kusho ukucubungula amatshe amaningi ukuze ufinyelele umkhiqizo odingekayo.

Abavukuzi baphinde babhekane nokucutshungulwa okukhulayo maqondana nelayisensi yezenhlalo yokusebenza. Kunokubekezelelwa okuncane kokwehla kwezimayini - ukungcoliswa noma ukuncipha kokuphakelwa kwamanzi, umthelela ongathandeki futhi ongaba yingozi wezinsalela, kanye nokuphazamiseka kokuphakelwa kwamandla. Umphakathi ngokungangabazeki ubheke embonini yezimayini ukuthi ilethe izinsimbi ezidingekayo kodwa endaweni esebenza kanzima. Ngokwesiko, izimayini bekuyimboni elambele amandla, edinga amanzi kakhulu futhi engcolile, enendawo enkulu yemvelo. Izinkampani ezihamba phambili manje zisungula izinto ezintsha ngesivinini ukuze zithuthuke kuzo zonke izinhlangothi.

Imaphi amasu ocabanga ukuthi azoba wusizo kakhulu kubavukuzi uma kuziwa ekuhlangabezaneni nezinselelo ababhekana nazo?

Nakuba kungekho ukungabaza ukuthi abavukuzi babhekana nezinselele ezinkulu, omunye umbono ukuthi indawo yamanje inikeza amathuba ayingqayizivele oshintsho. Ngesidingo esivikelekile, kunomfutho omkhulu wokuthuthukiswa, ngakho akukaze kube lula ukuthethelela ukuthuthukela ezindleleni ezingcono zokusebenza. Ubuchwepheshe obuhlakaniphile ngokungangabazeki buyindlela eya phambili, futhi kukhona nokubufuna.

Kuyafaneleka, kuthembekileUlwazi lwedijithali luyisisekelo sokusebenza kahle futhi ngokuvamile luyashoda. Ngakho-ke ngingagqamisa ukutshalwa kwezimali ekuhlaziyeni okusebenzayo nokuqhubekayo njengesu elibalulekile lempumelelo. Ngedatha yesikhathi sangempela, abavukuzi bangakwazi a) ukwakha ukuqonda okuqinile kokuziphatha kwenqubo futhi b) basungule ukulawulwa kwenqubo okuthuthukisiwe, okuzenzakalelayo, ukushayela ukuthuthukiswa okuqhubekayo ngamasu okufunda komshini. Lena enye yezindlela eziyinhloko esizoshintshela ngayo ekusebenzeni okuletha okwengeziwe ‒ ukukhipha insimbi eyengeziwe kuwo wonke amathani etshe - okunciphisa amandla, amanzi, nokufaka amakhemikhali.

Isiphi iseluleko esijwayelekile ongasinikeza abavukuzi njengoba beqala inqubo yokuhlonza ubuchwepheshe nezinkampani ezingabasiza?

Ngingathi bheka izinkampani ezibonisa ukuqonda okuningiliziwe ngezinkinga zakho nokuthi ubuchwepheshe bazo bungasiza kanjani. Bheka imikhiqizo enerekhodi eliqinisekisiwe, eligoqwe ngobuchule. Futhi, funa abadlali beqembu. Ukuthuthukisa ukusebenza kahle kwezimayini kuzothatha i-ecosystem yabahlinzeki bezobuchwepheshe. Abahlinzeki kufanele baqonde igalelo labo elingase libe khona, nokuthi bangasebenzisana kanjani nabanye ngempumelelo. Kubalulekile futhi ukuthi babelane ngamavelu akho. I-Science Based Targets Initiative (i-SBTi) iyisiqalo esihle uma ufuna izinkampani ezihlela izindlu zazo ukuze ziqhubeke nokusimama, ngokusebenzisa izindinganiso ezilinganisekayo nezifunayo.

Imikhiqizo yethu yabavukuzi imayelana nokuthatha amasampula nokulinganisa. Sinikeza amasampula, amabhande awela kanye nabahlaziyi be-slurry, nezikali zebhande eziletha ukulinganisa okuyisisekelo nokulandeleka ngesikhathi sangempela. Lezi zixazululo zisebenza ndawonye ukuze, ngokwesibonelo, zinikeze ulwazi oludingekayo ekugxilweni kwensimbi kusengaphambili noma ukuhlunga. Ukuhlunga i-ore kuvumela abavukuzi ukuthi baxube insimbi engenayo ngempumelelo kakhudlwana, basebenzise ukulawula inqubo yokuphakela phambili, futhi bahambise impahla yebanga eliphansi noma eliphansi kude nendawo yokugxilisa ingqondo ngokushesha okukhulu. Ukuhlaziya okungokoqobo kwesikhathi sangempela kuyigugu ngendlela efanayo nge-concentrator ye-metallurgical accounting, ukulawulwa kwenqubo noma ukulandelela ukungcola okukhathazayo.

Ngezixazululo zesilinganiso sesikhathi sangempela, kuyenzeka ukuthi kwakhiwe iwele ledijithali lomsebenzi wokumba - umqondo esiwubona ngokuqhubekayo. Iwele ledijithali inguqulo yedijithali ephelele, enembile yesigxivizo. Uma usunayo, ungazama ukuthuthukisa, futhi ekugcineni, ulawule ukude impahla kusuka kudeskithophu yakho. Futhi mhlawumbe lowo umqondo omuhle ongakushiya nawo njengoba izimayini ezizenzakalelayo, ezingenabantu ziwumbono wekusasa. Ukuthola abantu ezimayini kuyabiza, futhi ngobuchwepheshe obuhlakaniphile, obuthembekile obusekelwa ukulungiswa okukude, ngeke nje kudingeke emashumini eminyaka ezayo.