On October 22, 2025, BME hosted its Technical Summit at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria, where mining industry professionals shared ideas and discussed issues related to driving value through innovation, safety, sustainability and collaboration in mining.
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Themed “Mining for Today & Tomorrow: Integrity-Driven Innovation,” the technical summit returned after a pause since the COVID-19 years, reigniting an event traditionally dedicated to innovation, technical expertise in blasting, and collaboration across the mining industry.
“We are so glad to see you all here. We value the relationships we have with all of you, whether as customers, suppliers, regulators or collaborators.
“Today’s programme is designed to explore the future of mining, advance safety, drive sustainability and deliver real customer value through integrity-driven innovation.
“So what do you stand to gain? Insights from senior industry experts and thought leaders, explore cutting-edge technologies shaping mining today and tomorrow, learn from real-world technical case studies and success stories, connect with peers, regulators and global experts and experience live displays of equipment and blasting innovations,” said Ralf Hennecke, MD at BME.
The key themes of the summit were Sustainability: Practical strategies to reduce environmental impact and align with global ESG goals, Safety: Innovations that prioritise people, precision and operational excellence, Responsible business: Building stronger partnerships with customers and communities and Innovation in action: Leveraging digital tools, advanced detonator technology, and sustainable emulsions.
“At BME, we believe mining innovation must serve both today’s operations and tomorrow’s generations. This summit reaffirms our role as a trusted partner in creating safer, more sustainable, and more responsible mining solutions, together with our customers.
“We’re excited to welcome you to this much-anticipated event. This summit marks the return of our flagship gathering and, with the theme of Mining for Today & Tomorrow: Integrity-Driven Innovation, promises a day of learning and sharing within a space specifically created for inspired innovation and impactful technology,” said Seelan Gobalsamy, CEO of Omnia, BME’s parent company.
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The summit’s breakout sessions included themes on AXXIS Initiation Systems, Reactive Ground, Blastmap & XploSmart, Electronic Initiation Systems, Blast Optimisation using Smart Drill and Loader Technology and Fragmentation Reduction through Caprock Management.
Blasting science
Scott Scovira, global manager of blasting science and engineering at BME, made a presentation on blasting science, and took the audience through a journey up the “blasting science tree”, exploring the evolution of explosive products, delivery systems and engineering software tools. The audience was given a glimpse of the past, complemented with a view of current and emergent technologies.
“With each passing year, the art and craft of blasting moves towards a holistic and dynamic system built on science and engineering.”
Scovira’s presentation concluded with some foreshadowing of solutions for challenges facing tomorrow’s extractive industries.
In a presentation titled Circular thinking: Elevating sustainability from initiative to imperative BME’s global manager for strategic partnerships Dr Rakhi Pathak explored the chemistry, engineering and field performance of dual salt emulsions, highlighting their role in advancing sustainable blasting solutions for the mining industry.
Pathak shared how, over the years, dual salt emulsion technology has evolved into a high-performance solution for modern mining.
“By combining ammonium nitrate and calcium nitrate, this dual oxidizer system delivers greater stability, higher energy output and water resistance, ensuring consistent performance in both surface and underground blasting.
“From a sustainability perspective, dual salt emulsions contribute to environmental stewardship by minimising nitrate leaching, lowering greenhouse gas emissions during production and supporting circular economy principles through the use of waste-derived inputs.”
She added that these attributes position dual salt emulsions as a transformative technology in the pursuit of safer, more efficient and environmentally responsible blasting practices.
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Ravi Sahu, founder and CEO of Strayos, made a presentation titled Integrity-First Autonomy: Closing the Loop from Pit to Plant with Auditable AI.
“As mines digitise, the next step-change isn’t more data. It’s a closed-loop AI that senses, decides and adjusts in real time while staying explainable and auditable.
“Combining computer vision, digital twins and control logic creates an integrity driven autopilot for fragmentation, selective loading and plant setpoints – cutting energy per ton, stabilising throughput and improving safety,” he explained.
The presentation also unpacked governance tools such as safety envelopes, traceable decisions and privacy-preserving learning aimed at enabling sites to share intelligence without necessarily sharing data.
A presentation titled Moving Mountains with Innovation: Sustainable Explosives for a Cleaner, More Efficient Mining Industry – Today and Tomorrow by Thomas Gustavsson, CEO at Hypex Bio Explosives Technology, looked at how modern explosives enable efficient raw material extraction, however with their mature technology limiting the optimisation of additional gains in the mining value chain and its environmental impact.
“Hypex Bio offers a breakthrough in the form of a hydrogen peroxide-based emulsion proven at scale in Scandinavia. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions while delivering superior performance across mining applications.
“As economic and environmental pressures mount, this innovation presents a viable path to sustainable, cost-effective, operations, demonstrating that green explosive technologies can deliver real value without compromising productivity,” he explained.
BME’s international technology and field services manager Tom Dermody made a presentation on EIS: Driving Value Across the Mining Eco-system, in which he articulated how the mining industry is facing increasing pressure to improve operational safety, reduce costs and minimise environmental impact.
All of this happens while maintaining productivity, with traditional initiation methods often presenting challenges in achieving these goals due to limitations in precision and control.
ALSO READ: Blasting innovation helps mines meet ESG imperatives
The presentation also explored the benefits of adopting electronic initiation systems as a solution to these challenges.
“Electronic initiation systems offer highly accurate timing and programmable detonation sequences, which enhance blast control and significantly improve safety by reducing the risk of misfires and flyrock incidents.
“Their precision also optimises fragmentation, lowering downstream processing costs and equipment wear. Additionally, improved blast efficiency reduces vibration, noise and dust emissions, contributing to more sustainable and environmentally responsible operations.
“By aligning safety, cost-efficiency and environmental stewardship, electronic initiation systems present a modern, integrated approach to achieving better outcomes for both mining companies and surrounding communities,” he said.
Accurate blast design
President of R.A.McClure Inc., Robert McClure, spoke on Blast Optimisation using Smart Drill and Loader Technology. He said blast optimisation presents numerous challenges, with accurate blast design being one of the most critical components.
“Ensuring that the ‘as-designed’ blast pattern is accurately translated from the software to the bench is essential for effective benchmarking and continuous performance improvement.
“The integration of smart drill technology into operations enhances drilling accuracy by providing precise data on hole angle, azimuth, depth and subdrill – directly on the bench.
“This level of control ensures the blast is executed as planned. Post-blast, maintaining designed bench heights and managing floor elevation becomes a key challenge.”
He added that smart loader technology plays a crucial role, enabling operators to maintain preestablished floor elevations with greater consistency and precision.
“The combination of these smart technologies, alongside accurate blast design software, equips operations with powerful tools to drive a successful and sustainable blast optimisation programme.”
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Transforming Mining Through Technology and Collaboration was a presentation by Alan Tordoir, director of mining technology and portfolio integration at Mining3.
He said the mining industry faces mounting challenges, from enabling a carbon-free economy to managing dwindling ore reserves, while navigating digital transformation and rising stakeholder expectations.
“Yet, this moment presents a unique opportunity for advanced technologies and data analytics to offer the potential for transformational change.
“Nowhere is this more evident than in drill and blast operations, where practitioners must balance innovation with performance demands.
“Success requires a bold shift from traditional practices and unprecedented collaboration across the mining ecosystem to unlock sustainable, step-change improvements in safety and productivity,” he said.
Tamara Whitaker, technical services manager at R.A. McClure Inc. presented on Fragmentation Reduction through Caprock Management, and pointed out how rock fragmentation is a critical concern in construction, quarrying and open-pit blasting operations.
She said, to ensure a mine site produces the desired finished product, several key factors must be optimised, including blast patterns, loading, hauling and crusher capabilities.
“However, when challenging site conditions such as caprock are present, a more detailed evaluation of the blasting process may be required.
“These conditions can significantly impact the fragmentation size, which, if not properly managed, may exceed the capacity of downstream equipment.
“In such cases, advanced blast design and fragmentation analysis software become essential tools, allowing for accurate measurement of changes in fragmentation distribution following modifications to the blast design.
“This data-driven approach provides a highly efficient means of assessing and improving the effectiveness of blast adjustments, ensuring optimal performance across the entire material handling process.”
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In his closing remarks, Dirk Voogt, general manager of production and logistics at BME reflected on how impactful the lineup of this year’s BME Technical Summit was.
“Today we truly experienced what integrity-driven innovation is all about. Our stellar line up of presenters really showed up and made us think intentionally about the future of innovation.
“We were also glad to see that we had a number of people in the audience who were attending this summit for the first time. This gives us the guarantee that the message is being spread far and wide.
“We also had a healthy representation of international speakers, which speaks to the prestige of this event. We also want to thank our colleagues from Omnia who enabled us to pull off this amazing endeavour. On top of that, you also graced us with your presence, which was greatly appreciated.”
Voogt also reflected on the long journey of the summit since its inception. “From the first conference that was held in 1993, which was more of a technical workshop, to the one held in 2017, the summit had managed a run of unbroken industry-driving presentations.
“And while we had a break in 2018 as the country was going through a transition, 2019 saw the arrival of COVID-19 and we had to take a break for a couple of years. Ideally we would like to make this an annual event going forward. So there are exciting times ahead.”