Mining 4.0 and climate neutrality: A unified and reliable decision system for safe, intelligent, and green & climate-smart mining

Abstract

The global transition to cleaner energy sources intensifies pressure on the mining industry to secure the supply of energy transition minerals. However, fulfilling the demands of climate-driven technologies must not compromise critical factors such as health, safety, production efficiency, and the environmental and climatic impacts of mineral extraction. To remain future-fit, the mining industry must adapt to changing demands and realize safe, intelligent, and green & climate-smart (SIGCS) practices. This research offers nuanced insight into building a sustainable future for the mining industry with the advent of Mining 4.0. To achieve this, the investigation centers around two objectives. First, it proposes a unified index system for concurrently implementing SIGCS mining. Second, it develops a reliable evaluation model that integrates Z-number theory and Measurement of Alternatives and Ranking according to COmpromise Solution method (Z-MARCOS). The proposed decision system prioritizes twenty-one development approaches according to their significance and determines areas requiring immediate attention to make SIGCS mining successful. Results indicate that “digitization” is the top priority option. “Mechanization and automation”, “intellectualization”, “energy conservation and utilization”, and “autonomous and unmanned vehicles” were ranked second, third, and fourth, respectively. This study is a pioneering effort in providing technical assistance for implementing SIGCS practices, enabling the mining industry to secure the supply of energy transition minerals while contributing responsibly to global efforts towards achieving climate neutrality.