CIL engages Accenture Solutions as consultant for digitisation of mines

State-run CIL on Tuesday said it has engaged Accenture Solutions as consultant for digitalisation of mine process in seven of its select opencast blocks for accelerated performance enhancement.

In a first of its kind venture, the consultant would lead and support the implementation of digitalisation and process excellence while assuring 100 million tonnes (MT) increased coal output from the identified mines.

Coal India Ltd (CIL) has formally engaged Accenture Solutions Pvt Ltd as consultant, for digitalization of mine process in seven select opencast mines of the company, the coal behemoth said in a statement.

"A contract was signed to this effect," it added.

The seven identified mines are Kusmunda, Gevra, Dipka of South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) and Nigahi, Jayant, Dudhichua, Khadia of Northern Coalfields Ltd (NCL).

SECL and NCL are subsidiaries of Coal India.

These high-yielding mines accounted for nearly 32 per cent or 188 MT of CIL's total coal output of 596 MT during FY'21. While the three mines of SECL contributed around 112 MT the rest close to 76 MT came through four of NCL's mines.

The aim is to fit together and use the available data analytic techniques to raise mine productivity and efficiency from planning, project monitoring, operations till despatch, through effective system management and dynamic monitoring.

Among many measures, the Heavy Earth Moving Machineries (HEMM) deployed in these mines would be fitted with digital sensors to monitor the efficiency of their performance at every level.

The move helps in addressing the road blocks and taking corrective measures. The objective is to extract higher volumes of coal at lower costs.

With the fee linked to the performance, the consultant assures an increased quantity of 100 MT coal by end of FY'23, over the combined production of seven mines at the closure of FY'22, which is taken as baseline figure to measure output enhancement.

Till March 2022, Accenture shall be laying down the digitalisation groundwork in these mines.

"This is a first of its kind initiative by the company utilising digitalisation to ramp up coal output. It will be enabled in seven select mines for transformation across the entire business value chain of mining operations," the company said.

In broad terms, the consultant's success fee shall be paid only on achievement of more than a minimum threshold level of the assured quantity. On crossing the threshold level, the consultant would be paid an agreed sum for every additional tonne of coal produced.

"Learning from the outcome and success of this model we may replicate it in our other large mines," the company said.