Modern Mining September 2024

MINING TECHNOLOGY

Komatsu eyes India

Equipment manufacturer, Komatsu, is eyeing the Asian market, India and China in particular, as its next growth target, says Simon Andrews, new Vice President Africa - Soft Rock for Komatsu Mining.

S peaking to Modern Mining on the side lines of a factory tour of Joy’s smart service centre in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga Province, the specialist in underground mining equipment explained that demand for fossil fuels to fuel power stations, remained robust. According to the International Energy Agency, in 2022, coal demand reached a new record high of 8 415 mt, increasing by 4%. “The increase was backed mainly by growth in countries that rely heavily on coal, such as China and India. Coal demand for power generation rose by 4% to 5 687 mt. Coal use for non-power purposes rose by 3.7% to 2 728 mt. Accounting for more than half of global coal demand, China is by far the world’s largest coal consumer. In 2022, the

country’s overall coal demand rose by 4.6% to a total of 4 520 mt, with coal taking a share of more than 60% in power generation. India, the world’s second-largest coal consumer, comprising about 14% of global coal demand, recorded an increase of 9%, totalling 1 162 mt.” Global coal demand for 2023 was scheduled to increase by 1.4%, reaching a new all-time high of about 8 536 mt. The driver for robust coal demand is India’s population of 1.45 billion, forecast to grow to 1.47 in 2026, which is reliant on coal as a power source. It has long been the policy of India to save its own coal reserves for the future and import from other countries for its present use; however, this sentiment is changing.

Simon Andrews, new Vice President Africa - Soft Rock for Komatsu Mining.

18  MODERN MINING  www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | SEPTEMBER 2024