Diego Vallim, Vice President of Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia, and Laurence Goodacre, Vice President of Africa, update us on Orica’s recent activities in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), including its expanded digital portfolio, newly launched lead-free electronic detonators, and ambitious environmental targets.
HAVING A BLAST
There has been continuous growth in the mining industry in EMEA since we last spoke to Orica at the beginning of this year.
Europe has witnessed significant development in 2025 in terms of mining infrastructure and an increase in operations across the continent.
The industry has also progressed particularly well in Africa, especially compared to other parts of the world, with the region quickly finding its feet when it comes to regulation changes and local content.
Orica has remained unwaveringly committed to excellence in the burgeoning EMEA mining sector throughout 2025.
“We have a massive footprint across EMEA, from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere, so geographically it’s one of the most challenging regions we have within the business. We’ve seen continuous growth in EMEA over the last 12 months, and I don’t see that backing off,” notes Laurence Goodacre, Vice President of Africa.
There is also strong demand in EMEA for core blasting activities and supplying mining and construction companies with explosives and blasting systems.
“EMEA is very diverse; you have different environments across the whole region. We’re seeing strong demand in many countries, so it’s been a great year for Orica in 2025,” outlines Diego Vallim, Vice President of Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
ORICA DIGITAL SOLUTIONS
Since our previous interview in January 2025, the company has experienced increasing interest in its Orica Digital Solutions business.
Orica Digital Solutions seamlessly connects customers’ physical and digital worlds so they can readily understand and optimise their operations at every step of the value chain, from exploration to processing.
Whether operating individually, or as a whole, its solutions ensure the right intelligence at the right time for better decisions and more predictable outcomes.
With a complete, timely, and accurate picture, customers can adapt their operations to improve safety, be more productive, use less energy, produce fewer emissions, reduce environmental impacts, and lower costs.
Orica Digital Solutions’ products and technologies span Orebody Intelligence, Blast Design and Execution, Geosolutions, and Mine Simulation and Optimisation.
“Our digital portfolio is designed to optimise the entire process flow of mining and infrastructure operations,” Goodacre tells us.
Its advanced Blast Design and Execution solutions, in particular, provide end-to-end benchmarks and insights at every stage of the blasting process.
Deployed together or individually, these ensure greater precision and predictability for underground mining, quarrying, and construction.
BlastIQ™, for example, is Orica Digital Solutions’ industry-leading, cloud-native Blast Design and Execution platform, which is ISO 27001-certified and provides effective storage, management, sharing, and referencing of all blast-related information.
This helps blasting professionals to improve blast designs, achieve better quality blasts, and reduce costs.
Design, drilling, loading, and initiating documents can be viewed in one central location, making it easy to access blast design history and key performance indicators, enabling the continuous improvement of blasting outcomes.
“BlastIQ provides real-time data and digitalises how we use that data and the analytics behind it,” explains Goodacre.
This leads into SHOTPlus™, advanced blast design and modelling software for complex blasts.
SHOTPlus™ enables users to design, visualise, and analyse blast initiation sequences across surface and underground mining, quarrying, and construction applications.
As such, it provides the support and tools needed to improve productivity, safety, and environmental performance.
“SHOTPlus™ allows for specific blast design outcomes and results through advanced blasting software,” Goodacre states.
Another of Orica Digital Solutions’ Blast Design and Execution solutions is its industry-first OREPro™ 3D and OREPro™ 3D Predict, which optimises ore control in 3D and predicts blast results before they happen.
Using readily available input data, including the post-blast topography, Blast Design, and in-situ block model, OREPro™ 3D’s sophisticated algorithms replicate movement dynamics throughout the entire blast and calculate SmartVectors™ that accurately transform the in-situ grade control into a post-blast model.
“OREPro™ 3D is a software that helps customers to improve recovery through predictive modelling,” Vallim informs us.
“It’s a tool that’s been available for a while now, and it’s been very successful. Customers really appreciate this technology, especially medium-sized and large mining companies, and the way it helps them to improve recovery, which is of course extremely important.
“Through modelling, you can predict what will happen with your blasting process. This, of course, saves a lot of time and improves the overall efficiency of the mine.”
“Our digital portfolio is designed to optimise the entire process flow of mining and infrastructure operations”
Laurence Goodacre, Vice President of Africa, Orica
GEOSOLUTIONS EXPANSION
Alongside its Blast Design and Execution products and technologies, Orica recently expanded its Orica Digital Solutions portfolio to include Geosolutions.
The company’s measurement and monitoring tools offer mining and civil operators the certainty and confidence to make critical decisions.
Combining state-of-the-art technologies and software, Orica Digital Solutions’ Geosolutions assure customers of precise and reliable information to help them better manage risk, optimise production, and keep people, communities, and cultural heritage safe.
“We have expanded our Orica Digital Solutions portfolio to include Geotechnical and Geospatial monitoring systems,” Vallim says.
“When you work with Orica Digital Solutions’ Geosolutions, you’re partnering with people who know mining first-hand. Our technology is backed by trusted names like GroundProbe, 3vGeomatics, Syscom, Measurand, NavStar, and RST Instruments, but it’s our on-site experience that makes the difference.”
The company builds systems that are tough, accurate, and ready for the realities of mining life and civil infrastructure.
More importantly, it pairs this hardware with smart software and on-the-ground support. From high-precision radar to practical data interpretation, Orica helps customers understand what the numbers mean and what to do next.
Geosolutions offers real-time geohazards and geotechnical analysis and insights, including a multidimensional geotechnical and geospatial view of mining and infrastructure operations, allowing for unparalleled confidence in risk assessment and decision-making.
“These solutions and technologies are available for our customers in the EMEA region. We see a lot of synergies, not only with their mining projects, but also as a way to help some of their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ambitions.
“It’s important to highlight as it’s part of our extended portfolio and provides value to our customers,” Vallim adds.
Orica Digital Solutions’ comprehensive monitoring technology platform, meanwhile, is used to measure movement in airports, bridges, water and tailings dams, mines, and tunnels.
“Some of our technologies help with monitoring vibrations, which improves our relationships with communities,” Vallim highlights.
Through Orica Digital Solutions’ Geosolutions predictive technologies and software solutions, customers are also able to monitor and detect wall movement, understand when it becomes a problem, and determine when a collapse is likely to occur.
Its reactive technologies detect, track, and alarm on moving geohazards, warning customers and communities of a breach or collapse.
Another benefit of Orica Digital Solutions’ Geosolutions is they enable customers to significantly improve the efficiency and quality control of tunnel constructions and development drives.
Through precise, real-time tracking, users can make calculated decisions to increase efficiency, save time and money, and reduce reworks.
“When you work with Orica Digital Solutions’ Geosolutions, you’re partnering with people who know mining first-hand”
Diego Vallim, Vice President of Europe, The Middle East, and Central Asia, Orica
ELECTRONIC BLASTING SYSTEMS ANNIVERSARY
This year, Orica has celebrated 25 years of Electronic Blasting Systems (EBS) since the launch of the company’s first i-kon™ system in 2000.
It marks a quarter of a century of innovation, reliability, and customer-driven advancement in blasting technology for the company.
With over 200 million units deployed globally, supporting operations in Surface and Underground Mining, Tunnelling, Quarrying, and Construction, i-kon™ led the way in defining what a globally standardised EBS could be and set the benchmark for modern systems.
i-kon™ was launched at a time when the industry was dominated by non-electric and electric systems, both of which had limitations in terms of testability, timing accuracy, and scalability.
Since launching i-kon™ 25 years ago, Orica has remained at the forefront of Electronic Initiation, transforming the way the mining industry approaches safety, precision, and productivity.
It has also revolutionised the way blasting is conducted – introducing programmable timing, full testability, and now, the world’s first truly wireless initiating system, WebGen™ 100.
This groundbreaking technology communicates through rock, air, and water to initiate blasts, eliminates the need for downlines and surface connecting wires, and significantly enhances safety by removing people from hazardous areas.
A few years after, Orica launched WebGen™ 200, which uses low-frequency magnetic waves to communicate with each primer, ensuring precise and controlled blasting operations.
By eliminating the constraints of traditional wired initiation, WebGen™ 200 transforms mine planning by enabling more flexible, efficient, and precise blast designs, reducing risk exposure, and driving productivity gains.
“WebGen™ 200 is a really exciting product that’s been in the market for a little but continues to unlock. value for customers, not just in surface mining but also underground; it’s changing the way we mine,” Goodacre highlights.
“We can now look at how we extract ore differently because of wireless technology, which is one of the most exciting products from an underground perspective and a whole different way of thinking.”
Having been implemented at over 75 sites across six continents and 13 countries, WebGen™ has seen significant usage throughout various regions, including EMEA.
“We have seen a lot of interest in WebGen™ 200 from many different types of industries here in EMEA,” confirms Vallim.
In March 2025, the technology reached a major milestone, achieving 10,000 blasts globally and firing 200,000 WebGen™ 200 primers.
This reflects its rapid widespread adoption and success in the mining industry, enabling customers to implement new mining methods and achieve real-world benefits.
Orica’s i-kon™ III and WebGen™ 200 systems therefore build on the company’s legacy of precision and safety, offering advanced digital integration, improved deployment efficiency, and enhanced environmental performance.
LEAD-FREE ELECTRONIC DETONATORS
The evolution from i-kon™ III and WebGen™ 200 continues with the recent launch of EBS Neo, Orica’s new range of fully lead-free electronic detonators.
EBS Neo products are designed for enhanced safety and sustainability, eliminating lead from both production and blasting emissions.
“This is a journey that started many years ago; we needed to develop different alternatives to eliminate lead from the whole production chain, and we are now seeing increasing adoption of lead-free detonators,” affirms Vallim.
The EBS Neo range utilises non-primary explosives detonator technology for the safe and reliable initiation of explosives in challenging conditions.
This next generation of EBS includes i-kon™ III Neo – engineered for large, complex surface and underground blasting; uni tronic™ 600 Neo – tailored for civil tunnelling and mine development; and eDev™ II Neo – optimised for small to medium-sized surface and construction blasting.
These systems build on Orica’s legacy of precision and safety, offering advanced digital integration, improved deployment efficiency, and enhanced environmental performance.
Orica does not use lead or lead compounds in the manufacturing of its EBS Neo detonators and takes steps to seek assurances from its suppliers in this regard.
“We tested different materials and came up with a configuration that doesn’t require any lead at all, so it’s very aligned with our ambitions to have a more sustainable portfolio of products,” Vallim acclaims.
“EBS Neo is definitely a game-changer. By removing lead from the entire lifecycle, it helps customers with their ESG,” echoes Goodacre.
“When we talk about removing lead from detonators, this is the final evolution of the EBS product range. It’s a lot safer from an ESG perspective and helps with regulatory compliance.”
Crucially, the EBS Neo range complies with the requirements of the EU’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, which aims to prevent the risks posed to human health and the environment related to the management of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE).
The directive promotes the recyclability of EEE, since its components now contain fewer hazardous substances and more recycling opportunities.
At the same time, it ensures a level playing field for manufacturers and importers of EEE in the European market.
In April 2026, a specific exemption related to the use of certain lead and hexavalent chromium compounds in electric and electronic initiators of explosives for civil (professional) use expires, however EBS Neo complies with the RoHS Directive beyond this deadline.
“Whenever we talk about new technologies, we put a lot of emphasis on performance and safety, but for some products, compliance is very important. There is legislation in Europe that will change in 2026, and EBS Neo is fully compliant with this, so we are well-positioned to supply the market with the full range of lead-free detonators next year,” emphasises Vallim.
“There are lot of European standards coming into play, so being one of the first from the industry to have a full end-to-end solution to remove lead from the process is exciting. It’s leading us towards safer and more sustainable blasting solutions across the board,” Goodacre elaborates.
From i-kon™ to WebGen™, and now the EBS Neo range, Orica continues to redefine what’s possible in blasting – driven by innovation, inspired by people, and focused on the future.
UTILISING WASTE OIL
Along with EBS Neo, Orica continues to lower environmental footprints through blasting solutions such as Cyclo™, which optimises mine site fuel through circularity.
This automated processing system enables used oil from heavy machinery to be recycled directly on-site and transformed into raw materials.
The proven technology offers efficient processing and quality output that matches the standard required for manufacturing emulsion explosives.
Cyclo™ is designed to support remote operations where Orica’s site-based emulsion plants are available.
It can process up to 1,000 litres of used oil per hour and enable significant reductions in the cost and consumption of fuel for explosives.
As well as this, Cyclo™ removes the need for off-site disposal and truck movements through local communities and ensures finished product quality is maintained to the standard required for bulk emulsion manufacturing.
“Waste oil is a big by-product in mining operations, so Orica created Cyclo™ to utilise waste oil instead of fuels,” Goodacre expands.
“It utilises waste oil on the mine site, so it doesn’t have to be exported, disposed of, and treated elsewhere.
“Cyclo™ is really important for trying to be renewable and consuming everything on-site. Waste oil is a big part of that process for our customers, so it has a big impact in terms of boosting ESG,” he acknowledges.
INVESTMENT IN RAW MATERIALS
Since we last spoke to Orica, the company has remained committed to securing the supply of critical raw materials for the mining industry.
It consistently invests in developing new raw materials and sources of supply to not only improve safety and compliance, but also to have a more flexible supply chain.
“The supply chain has been very challenging in the last few years, not only in the mining sector but across almost all industries,” Vallim reflects.
The company has continued to strengthen its supply chain to ensure it has security of supply.
“Sourcing raw materials is critical for us. Our manufacturing and sourcing footprint gives our customers confidence that we’re able to manage different situations,” Goodacre enlightens.
“We can manage an entire portfolio from a global perspective, not just one source of supply. The biggest thing Orica is focused on is security supply from multiple sources, not just internally but externally as well.”
Orica also invests in its facilities, such as the company’s main manufacturing plant in Gyttorp, Sweden, which now produces the EBS Neo range of lead-free detonators.
In February this year, Orica additionally invested to expand its global footprint with the acquisition of Cyanco, a US-based leader in the manufacture and distribution of sodium cyanide.
Primarily serving the gold mining industries in the US, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, and Africa, Cyanco complements Orica’s established mining chemicals business.
“We’ve made some specific investments to expand our strong global footprint, and one of them was the acquisition of Cyanco in the US,” reveals Vallim.
“Partnering with other companies and performing some acquisitions to improve our global footprint is a very important part of our investment.”
SUSTAINABILITY AMBITIONS
In May, Orica established its commitment to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2040, with an interim goal of 60 percent by 2030.
These targets are in support of the company’s ambition to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
“It’s not just pie in the sky – it’s a sustainable approach with initiatives put in place, and we’re ticking them off from a global framework perspective,” Goodacre sets out.
“We’re on track with these targets and ambitions,” assures Vallim. “In Europe, we recently performed the first blast with low-carbon technical ammonium nitrate (TAN).”
Indeed, Orica successfully partnered with Fertiberia in June 2024 at the Canteras de Santullán quarry in Spain.
This marked a milestone in reducing the carbon footprint of blasting and mining operations, providing a more sustainable solution compared to conventional TAN.
The blast signified a further step towards the decarbonisation of mining and the first industrial-scale use of a sustainable, low-carbon explosive product.
“It’s another example that enforces our sustainability programme, which is aligned to our ambition of net zero by 2050,” Vallim prides.
DELIVERING GREAT VALUE
One of Orica’s main targets for 2026 is to continue advancing its net zero ambitions and supporting customers in EMEA with their own ESG ambitions.
“We’re focused on helping customers meet their sustainability goals, specifically around reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting the energy transition that everyone’s going through at the moment in the future,” Goodacre shares.
Another of the company’s key priorities next year is to keep accelerating the adoption of the new technologies and solutions in its portfolio.
“We see a lot of value in customers adopting these new technologies because it improves their performance and supports sustainability and the energy transition,” Vallim urges.
“It comes back to continuing to deliver great value for our customers and the communities we operate in,” Goodacre concludes.
ORICA EMEA PARTNERS
