Karas Henryk
Date and place of birth: 8th April 1948, Cracow, Poland
Educational qualifications: 1972,graduated from the Wrocław Technical University, M.Sc. diploma (Mineral Processing and Underground Mining Operations in base metals),
1993 International Business School in Warsaw, MBA diploma.
Past experience: from 1972 to 2009 many management positions in the production and research units in mining industry (mainly the KGHM Polish Copper Company) encompassing underground mining and mineral processing operations of non-ferrous ores.
from 2009 to date: employed as the advisor of the KGHM Polish Copper Management Board.
Member of associations: Executive Committee of the Eurometaux in Brussels, Technology Steering Committee of the International Copper Association in New York, USA, member of the CIM (Canadian Institute of Mining) Association, chairman of High Level Group of ETP Sustainable Mineral Resources (from 2006 to date).
Other skills and personal interests:
Good knowledge of world non-ferrous industry and energy sector , biotechnology in mining industry.
" Mine of the Future – efficient and safe tool to secure access to deeply located raw materials resources for Europe"
The underground metal mining will become the major part of the total mining production in future. When going deeper for mineral resources we should solve problems with an increase in rock pressure with subsequent rock stability problems and occurrence of seismic events . Additionally, the high temperature of rock rising with depth will need better ventilation and dust control. In case of metal mining it requires the solution of work that supports both high productivity and good working and social conditions. Taking the advantages of advance in automation and robotics based on IT and ES technologies, the deep mining will need the wide use of remote monitoring and controlling of all underground operations. The Intelligent Mine will need remote controlled production for unmanned processes, mine-wide information network for all autonomous machines. This is the vision for the Mine of the Future which encompasses:
- removing people from hazardous environments;
- can give Europe the technological leadership in resource-efficient production of raw materials
- design Next Generation machines to operate remotely and autonomously;
- introduce integrated and intelligent monitoring and control systems;
- create future perspectives for extractive industry with newly manufacturing technologies.