Forestry Operations Planning: Alcoa Juruti Case

Effective management of forestry operations is crucial to sustainability in mining. Alcoa, one of the largest aluminum producers in the world, is an example of a company committed to environmental responsibility. In his project in Juruti, Pará, Alcoa relied on the expertise of Prominas to optimize its vegetation suppression and rehabilitation of mined areas activities, using the tool MinePlan Activity Scheduler (MPAS).

THE Alcoa is a multinational company with operations on several continents, known for its innovative practices and its commitment to sustainability. Founded in 1888, Alcoa has a long history of leadership in the mining and metallurgy sector, pioneering several technologies and processes that minimize the environmental impact of its operations.

Planning forestry operations is vital not only to ensure the efficient extraction of natural resources, but also for the recovery and rehabilitation of areas affected by mining.

Through a well-structured and technologically advanced approach, It is possible to balance the need for exploration with environmental conservation, promoting sustainable and responsible mining.

In this article, we will explore in detail how Prominas implemented effective forest operations planning using the MPAS, overcoming significant challenges and achieving impressive results.

Forestry Operations Planning: Context of the Juruti Project

The project is located in the municipality of Juruti, in the state of Pará, which has a population of approximately 59,961 inhabitants, and its economy is predominantly rural. The mine, founded in 2006 and operating since 2009, produces around 9 million tons of ore per year, being 6.2 million tons of washed bauxite and 1.3 million tons of raw bauxite.

In Alcoa's Juruti bauxite project, tools were already used MinePlan for geology and mine planning. And so, internally, a great opportunity for improvement was identified for the plant suppression planning stages, optimizing and facilitating decision-making for this area.

The flow of activities for plant suppression was already part of the Juruti team's routine, however not optimized, and thus planning for this scope becomes a difficult task. The idealization and development of the workflow was carried out by the Prominas Mining team in conjunction with Alcoa's Juruti Planning team.

Transport Infrastructure

To transport production, Alcoa uses a 55 km long railway, equipped with two electro/diesel locomotives and 54 wagons. The Alcoa port in Juruti has the capacity to receive ships with a capacity between 75 thousand and 82 thousand tons, ensuring the logistical efficiency required for large-scale operations.

Planning Challenges and Needs

Operational Challenges

Alcoa faced several challenges in planning its operations, especially with regard to vegetation suppression and rehabilitation of mined areas. With an operating area of 55 x 18 km, it was crucial develop a model that would support this extension, standardize volume calculations and sequence activities based on their productivity.

To face the challenges, Alcoa needed a tool that would allow:

• Support large extensions:
  The project covers an area of 55 x 18 km.
• Standardized routines for volume calculations:
  Important for sequencing and productivity of activities.
• Efficient equipment allocation:
  Based on the quick release of areas for mining.
• Rehabilitation of cultivated areas:
  Using material from plant suppression activities.
• Future integration with mining activities:
  To ensure efficient operational continuity.

Solution: PROMINAS METHODOLOGY ALLIED TO THE MinePlan SUITE

Structure

The solution developed by Prominas for the Juruti project used the MinePlan suite, a comprehensive methodology that included:

• Large extensions and methodology by area:
  Detailed planning of operations over a large area.
• Fleet Sizing:
  Accurate calculation of the fleet required for activities.
• Activity Sequencing:
  Organization of activities in a logical and efficient manner.
• GSM Model:
• Use of a geospatial model for better analysis and planning.
• Model Calculation and Haulage:
  Model calculations and transport planning.
• MinePlan Activity Scheduler:
• Key tool for sequencing and visualizing activities.

Base Tool

One of the tools used, the MinePlan Activity Scheduler (MPAS) emerged as the ideal fit. The tool allows monitoring and visualization of activities through the creation of schedules with dependencies between activities, using Gantt charts. Furthermore, the MPAS offers animations of the progress of plant suppression and integrates with the MinePlan 3D (MP3D), MSReserves and Haulage for fleet sizing. Its features include:

• Monitoring the execution and visualization of activities:
  Creation of schedules with dependencies between activities (Gantt Chart).
• Animations of advances in plant suppression:
  Dynamic visualization of activity progress.
• Integration with MinePlan 3D (MP3D), MSReserves and fleet sizing:
  Support for topsoil variations and gall volume.
• Dynamic reporting generation:
  Reports that can be defined and updated as needed.

Inputs

The input data for the project was detailed and accurate, covering several areas:

• Topography:
  • Realized ASV limits.
  • Access geometry.
• Environment:
  • Rehabilitation limits.
  • Log warehouse.
  • Tank capacities (m³).
  • Rehabilitation capacities (m³).
• Mine Planning:
  • Vegetation suppression sites.

Construction

The construction of the plan involved the integration of all these elements, resulting in a well-structured flow of activities that included laying out gallyards, arranging and depositing logs, felling trees, rescuing fauna and flora, among others.

• Estimates Need Real:
  Quantity of plant material produced by plant suppression and allocation of this material to rehabilitation areas.
• Improvement in Planning:
  Planning of areas to be rehabilitated and log yards, contributing to Alcoa's global goal of 1:1.
• Reduction of Environmental Impacts:
  Reduction of GAP in open areas and reduction of diesel use through lower DMT's.

Integrations and Reports

As MPAS, it's possible generate dynamic reports that can be updated in real time. The tool also supports variations of topsoil and gall volume, allowing precise planning adjusted to real field conditions.

Project Assumptions

Activity Flow

The flow of activities related to forest management encompasses several essential steps for the sustainable and efficient management of natural resources. This project includes:

• Antler tracing.
• Log storage with Computational Processing (PC).
• Log information collection.
• Log warehouse.
• Loading and transporting logs.
• Tree felling and trunk removal.
• Fauna and flora rescue.
• Firebreak opening.
• Loading and transportation of topsoil and antlers.
• Row tipping in rehabilitation areas.
• Topographic survey of a clean area.

Models and Sequencing

The project used GSM models and haulage logic to sequence activities. The integration of these methodologies made it possible to optimize fleet sizing and the sequence of activities, reducing downtime and improving the overall efficiency of the project.

Results

Environmental Factors

The use of MPAS provided more accurate estimates of plant material produced, facilitating correct allocation to rehabilitation areas. That contributed to Alcoa's global goal of 1:1 rehabilitation, reducing the amount of open land and decreasing diesel consumption due to shorter transport distances.

Social and Governance Factors

The project improved the traceability of data reported to environmental agencies and increased transparency with local communities. The delivery of higher quality rehabilitation areas and the carrying out of internal audits to verify compliance with vegetation suppression plans highlight Alcoa's commitment to governance and sustainability.

Continuous Improvement

Prominas maintained a commitment to continuous improvement in the project, updating log volume factors per hectare and equipment throughputs as needed. There are more processes under construction and development to combine in this workflow of work, such as planting and plowing.

Required Updates

The update of the log volume factors per hectare and the log volume factors topsoil+gallaria for each rehabilitation method was essential. Equipment productivity was also constantly reviewed to reflect actual operating conditions, ensuring ongoing project efficiency.

Conclusion

The case of Alcoa in Juruti illustrates how the use of advanced technologies such as MinePlan Activity Scheduler ally the entire suite MinePlan it can transform mining operations, making them more efficient and sustainable. Prominas, by providing cutting-edge solutions, reaffirms its commitment to excellence and innovation in the mining sector. For more information about how Prominas can help your business, contact our team.

To find out more about our services and how we can help your mining operation reach new levels of efficiency and sustainability, please contact us directly. We are available to meet your needs and transform challenges into opportunities.