Explosives and blasting company BME and Sweden-based explosives company Hypex Bio Explosives Technology (Hypex Bio) have advanced their partnership beyond Canada by initiating an infrastructure and product development programme for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) market.

BME is a subsidiary of diversified chemicals group Omnia Holdings.

BME and Hypex Bio will gradually introduce what they are calling the world’s first commercially available hydrogen peroxide explosives in the SADC mining market for various blasting applications over time, including opencast mining operations.

This marks a significant step forward, underpinned by Hypex Bio’s ongoing progress in rolling out hydrogen peroxide products tailored to the SADC climate and its challenging mining environment.

The development also builds on the established partnership between BME and Hypex Bio to enhance the ongoing development and introduction of hydrogen peroxide emulsions in key markets, while providing Omnia Holdings – a minority equity stakeholder in Hypex Bio – with access to modern technology.

This development, says BME MD Ralf Hennecke, is in line with BME’s focus on supporting customers with future-fit solutions, which provide a safe, sustainable and efficient alternative to ammonium nitrate-based explosives.

Providing customers with access to hydrogen peroxide emulsion products is a “clear testament to BME’s ongoing commitment to innovation and customer value”, he adds.

“The SADC mining industry is facing increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions due to international trade policies, climate change commitments as well as environmental, social and governance [ESG] imperatives.

“Therefore, through this partnership between BME and Hypex Bio, we will continue to respond to our customers’ challenges,” says Hennecke.

Meeting Regional Challenges

While the region’s abundant mineral resources position SADC as a key player in shaping the future of clean energy and sustainable development, the mining of these critical minerals presents multifaceted challenges, including environmental dimensions.

Hennecke says that hydrogen peroxide products complement BME’s comprehensive product portfolio and enhance its standing in the supply of sustainable bulk emulsions.

“Packaged emulsion cartridges and bulk emulsion products will evolve from this infrastructure and product development programme,” he notes, adding that the technology has the potential to change the explosives supply industry by reducing the total greenhouse gas emissions footprint by up to 90%, where implemented.

Considering that hydrogen peroxide-based explosives decompose into water and oxygen, pollutants, such as nitrates, are eliminated. This, in turn, reduces the need for costly water-treatment and ventilation, while also facilitating faster blast cycles and increased efficiency.

Manufacturing these emulsions is also less energy intensive than the process involved in producing ammonium nitrate-based emulsions, further reducing the carbon footprint of the mining value chain.

Additionally, testing has shown that hydrogen peroxide emulsions perform similar to nitrate-based types, going so far as to outperform them in some instances.

Hydrogen peroxide explosives represent a “paradigm shift” in blasting operations and a critical step in mining, quarrying and construction, says Hypex Bio CEO Thomas Gustavsson.

“The partnership between Hypex Bio and BME will play a significant role in the shift to more sustainable mining in SADC, while also establishing the standard for next generation blasting in the region – essential for the sustainable industries and societies of the future.

“Environment-friendly explosives are a natural way to extract and build, driving improved supply chains for raw materials and infrastructure,” concludes Gustavsson.