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Selection and evaluation of suppliers is a complex issue that depends mostly on the quality of the decision-making process. The aim of this paper is to point to the possibility of applying multi-criteria analysis (Fuzzy TOPSIS method) for the selection of suppliers operating in mining systems in the case of the Public Company for Underground Coal Mining Resavica (JPPEU Resavica) -Serbia. Ranking of companies is done based on ten criteria, and it has considered a list of five suppliers (Supplier 1; Supplier 2; Supplier 3; Supplier 4; Supplier 5). The criteria cover the most important aspects of suppliers' selection such as: management and organization, quality, technical ability, production facilities and capacity, financial position, delivery, service, relationship-connectivity, security and environmental protection and price. In doing so, it has used the experts knowledge from JPPEU Resavica to determine the significance and impact of certain criteria to the process of supplier selection and evaluation of suppliers in regard to each criterion. Fuzzy TOPSIS method was used for determining the final ranking of suppliers. The supplier with the top rank was the Supplier 4. The obtained results indicate that the proposed method gives excellent results and can be used for solving various, and the most complex problems that occur in mining systems, as well as in other production systems.

Unstable electricity supply is a major challenge for Kosovo* and especially for Serb-majority communities. Renewable energy may represent one of the possible solutions to improve the energy security of those areas. Therefore, the municipality of Štrpce was selected as the research area of the paper, and it is located in the south of Kosovo* . However, renewable energy potentials have not been sufficiently explored and specific projects are not proposed. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to define renewable energy projects. Based on renewable energy potential and electricity consumption in Štrpce, a set of 8 renewable energy potential projects has been defined using Homer pro software. However, the problem that arises is the choice of an adequate alternative on the basis of economic criteria. Six criteria were selected for the evaluation of renewable energy projects. To assess criteria analytical hierarchy process is employed. The highest priority was given to the criterion energy sold (0.280) while the top-ranked project is refer to installation of photovoltaic panels in households to cover 50% of energy needs while the rest is taken from the grid (0.222). In future research, in addition to used economic criteria, other groups of criteria such as technical, environmental and socio-political should be analyzed.

The main objective of this paper is to determine the current energy (electricity) situation in municipality of Štrpce and define and assess potential strategies for improving energy security. For that purpose, paper employed hybrid strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) methods. First, current energy situation is observed using strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis. Then, according TOWS matrix potential strengths-opportunities, weaknesses-threats, strengths-threats, and weaknesses-threats strategies were defined. All strategies are rated using EXPERT choice software. Result show that the three best ranked strategies for improvement of energy security are: revitalization of the entire existing distribution network (ST1), defining the appropriate investment and legal model for the needs of building RES (ST2), and introducing energy management in the public, commercial and indus-trial sectors and establishing a municipal energy office (WT1), respectively.

The aim of this paper is to show the application of multi-criteria analysis (PROMETHEE method) in the selection of the suppliers which are working in the mining systems, specifically in the Public Company for the Underground Exploitation of Coal Resavica (PCUEC Resavica) – Serbia. The company ranking was done in terms of quality according to seven criteria. The criteria cover the most prominent aspects of the quality management of suppliers. Accordingly, 5 suppliers were taken into consideration. In ranking process the expert knowledge of the specialists from PCUEC Resavica was used. Firstly, the determination of the importance and the impact of certain criteria to the process of the suppliers selection was done, and after that the assessment of the suppliers according to each criteria is performed by company experts. PROMETHEE method is used for final ranking of the suppliers. Obtained results show that applied combined method gives excellent results and it can be used for solving a large scale of complex problems in mining systems.

Selecting the optimal mining method is one of the most critical issues in mining design. It entirely depends on different parameters, such as geotechnical, geological, economic, and geographic factors. Although many researchers have tried to apply a various multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) technique to select the most appropriate mining method, there are no clear reasons for choosing a specific decision method. For this purpose, a new methodology has been presented in this research work to find the most appropriate MCDA techniques for selecting the optimal underground mining method in the Anguran zinc deposit, north-west of Iran. At the first step, a list of fifty parameters, including geomechanical, geometrical, technical, economic, environmental, and social parameters, has been made for selecting the optimal underground mining method. Then, the most influential parameters, including thickness, RMR of the hanging wall, and production rate, were chosen the most crucial parameters according to the experts’ opinions in this matter. Also, among all conventional MCDA methods, including ELECTRE, MAUT, ANP, MACBETH, AHP, TOPSIS, PROMETHEE, VIKOR, TODIM, Grey, MULTIMOORA, and MAHP, the TODIM has been selected as the best MCDA method for further studies on the case. Applying this technique, the cut and fill mining was chosen as the best method for the Anguran zinc mine while the square set mining was the worst method in this case. The results also revealed that the proposed method could be extensively applied to find the most appropriate MCDA in mining engineering.

The working conditions in the loading and the transport sectors in mines are quite difficult. Operators and drivers are exposed to both physical and chemical hazards. Accordingly, the ranking of the workplaces at loading and transport in the mine was conducted in order to determine the workplace characterized by the most difficult working conditions. Five workplaces in the Open Pit Mine "Veliki Krivelj" were analyzed on the basis of the regularly measured parameters of the working conditions there (measures have done in 2018 year). The AHP/PROMETHEE methods were used as the ranking method. The AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method enables us to determine the criteria weight of coefficients and the PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for the Enrichment of Evaluations) method enables the final ranking of the workplaces. The three scenarios were considered, as follows: the ranking of the loading workplaces, the ranking of the transport workplaces and the ranking of all the workplaces. The results indicate that the workplace of the Marion Excavator Operator is the most difficult workplace at loading. The workplace of the Euclid R 170 Truck driver is the most difficult workplace at transport. Finally, a comprehensive analysis of all the workplaces generated the results indicative of the fact that the workplace of the Marion Excavator Operator is the most difficult workplace. The obtained results indicate a clear distinction between the old and the new equipment. The results clearly suggest the importance of having modern equipment, which is the key element in taking care of the workers' health.

The most effective parameter on the value of mining projects is metal price volatility. Therefore, knowing the metal price volatility can help the managers and shareholders of the mining projects to make the right decisions for extending or restricting the mining activities. Nowadays, classical estimation methods cannot correctly estimate the metal prices volatility due to their frequent variations in the past years. For solving this problem, it is necessary to use the artificial algorithms that have a good ability to predict the volatility of the various phenomena. In this paper, the Bat algorithm was used to predict the copper price volatility. Accordingly, Brownian motion with mean reversion (BMMR) was chosen as the most suitable time series function with the root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.449. Then, the estimation parameters of the equation were modified using Bat algorithm. Finally, it is concluded that the determined equation with 0.132 of RMSE can predict the copper price better than the classic estimation methods.

Drilling and blasting operations are very important part of underground excavation design. They should be performed in accordance with some criteria, such as fragmentation, excavation stability and cost. In the paper are considered three drilling and blasting designs in order to reach the optimal one. To do so, all the criteria should be simultaneously considered in the analysis. For analysis is used Analytic Hierarchy Process – AHP method. Using AHP method, drilling and blasting patterns in underground copper mine “Jama” Bor are investigated and analysed. According to the obtained results, alternative 2 with contour drilling and blasting pattern was selected to be the best decision. Application of this alternative comparatively satisfies both fragmentation and excavation stability.

Technological procedures for obtaining the useful mineral raw materials on the excavation site create the environmental pollution. This is manifested in several ways such as: blocking of land, degradation of soil and appearance the other forms of pollution (dust, gases, mineral water and noise, which affect the pollution of air, water, land, plants and human health). Consequently, in this paper, a multi-criterion analysis was carried out aiming to rank the all types of environmental pollution in order to identify the most difficult types of pollution. Also, the work presents the most important environmental protection measures, in accordance with the most severe types of pollution, and their ranking has been carried out with the aim of determining the most important measures. The AHP analysis was used for the multi-criterion analysi.

Today in the modern business of the mining companies, the management puts emphasis on assessment the motivation of employees. Motivation of employees is a precondition for the successful operation of the company. This paper is aimed to present an innovative solution applying the multi-criteria method (MCDM) for assessment the motivation of employees in the mining companies. The obtained results show that the most effective is the theory of motivation for implementation in mining companies. Innovative solution as an auxiliary tool gives managers a complete view for assessment the motivation of employees in mining companies in order to increase profits.

Ranking of workplaces with respect to working conditions is very significant for each company. It indicates the positions where employees are most exposed to adverse effects resulting from the working environment, which endangers their health. This article presents the results obtained for 12 different production workplaces in the copper mining and smelting complex RTB Bor - 'Veliki Krivelj' open pit, based on six parameters measured regularly which defined the following working environment conditions: air temperature, light, noise, dustiness, chemical hazards and vibrations. The ranking of workplaces has been performed by PROMETHEE/GAIA. Additional optimization of workplaces is done by PROMETHEE V with the given limits related to maximum permitted values for working environment parameters. The obtained results indicate that the most difficult workplace is on the excavation location (excavator operator). This method can be successfully used for solving similar kinds of problems, in order to improve working conditions.

Evaluation of sustainability indicators in terms of their importance for decision making in mining companies (RTB Bor, RTB) can significantly affect the steady economic growth and development of the country. In the paper are ranked sustainability indicators in terms of their importance by illustration of implementation of multicriteria decision making. The essence of the problem is to reduce the subjectivity in the mining companies (RTB Bor) who are carriers of the economic development of the country. Evaluation of sustainability indicators of mining companies was carried out using the PROMETHEE methods for multi-criteria decision making. In this method the determination of criteria weights for ranking is done firstly, then the assessment of sustainability indicators and their complete ranking is performed. Based on the obtained results by PROMETHEE method, it is determined the most important sustainability indicators for decision-making, and that is an alternative A1 (economic indicators). The most influential criteria for a complete ranking of sustainability indicators is criteria C1 (increase the utilization of resources) and C3 (environmental protection). The obtained result indicates to managers how the implementation of MCDM method should treat the indicators of sustainability during the planning and management process, all with aim to sustain mining companies (RTB Bor).

The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of multi-criteria decision-making process for assessment the implementation and progress of sustainable business of mining companies. Sustainability assessment is determined on the basis of success in carrying out the most important aspects of sustainable business. Accordingly, in this paper was conducted the ranking of economic, social, environmental and cultural aspects. Multi criteria Analysis-Electra method is used for the ranking the above mentioned aspects of sustainable business. The obtained result identifies the most important aspects of sustainable business, and all in in order to determine whether it is sustainable operations of mining companies equally balanced or not and which of these aspects are missing.

Process approach is the basic element for integration the all similar requirements of the integrated management system (ISM) standard and stakeholders. Previous studies have shown that the process model of the ISM is the most represented in the Serbian companies. Implementation of the process model in mining company improves the company performances. This work analyzes the most important advantages achieved in implementation the process model and the appropriate criteria are defined for their evaluation. The AHP method was used to evaluate the advantages of process model. The results differentiate the most important advantages of the process model achieved by sustainable business operations of mining companies on the basis of competitiveness based on eco-innovations.

The town of Bor (Serbia) is one of the most polluted towns in southeastern Europe. The copper smelter which is situated in the centre of the town is the main pollutant, mostly because of its old technology, which leads to environmental pollution caused by higher concentrations of SO 2 and PM 10 . These facts show that the word is about a very polluted region in Europe which, apart from harming human health in the region itself, poses a particular danger for wider area of southeastern Europe. Optimization of heavy metal's total emission was undertaken because years of long contamination of the soil with heavy metals of anthropogenic origin created a danger that those heavy metals may enter the food chains of animals and people, which can lead to disastrous consequences. This work represents the usage of Geographic Information System (GIS) for establishing a multifactor assessment model to quantitatively divide polluted zones and for selecting control sites in a linear programming model, combined with PROMETHEE/GAIA method, Screen View modeling system, and linear programming model. The results show that emissions at some control sites need to be cut for about 40%. In order to control the background of heavy metal pollution in Bor, the ecological environment must be improved.

This paper presents the results of acidic leaching of kaolinite from the flotation waste of the RTB Bor copper mine, Serbia. The kaolinitic concentrate from the flotation waste contains 32% Al2O3. Kinetic investigations were conducted on the leaching of kaolinite roasted at 750°C for 60 min under air using H2SO4, HNO3 and HCl. Activation energies for the process were 74, 63 and 63.2 kJ mol–1 for sulphuric, nitric and hydrochloric acids, respectively. The kinetic function D3: [1 – (1 – α)1/3]2 = kt was chosen to describe the fractional conversion dependence on time and temperature. This enabled effective management of the leaching process to be carried out.

The multi-criteria analysis for the selection of the optimal model of integrated management system was conducted in this paper in order to improve the performance of mining companies. Integrated management system is the process of integrating of different management systems in a contemporary business as a requirement for each company in order to survive in the market. Modern companies that have implemented integrated management system work better, have arranged processes, improve its structure and culture for the management practice, and have continual improvements of all processes. Mining companies are in a very difficult position in Serbia. Their business is specific because it is characterized by a high complexity, obsolete and complex organizational structure, inadequate management practices, everyday functioning and many other problems. In that context, authors are proposing four models of integrated management systems that could be applicable in mining companies in order to improve their performance. Also, the appropriate criteria for the selection of the optimal model are defined. AHP method is applied for the selection and ranking of the models of integrated management system. The obtained results give an optimal model of integrated management system that is applicable with the best results in terms of performance improvement and sustainability of mining companies in Serbia.

Renewable energy sources (RES) can be a significant source of profit. However, different RES projects can bring various benefits to their investors, raising the question—Which RES project to select? The objective of this study is to provide answers to two questions: (1) Which factors/criteria should be used in the RES project selection procedure; (2) Which RES project should the investor select out of a group of prospective projects? The study was conducted in a company operating in the energy sector in Serbia. In order to find answers to the above-mentioned questions, the study employed a hybrid methodology integrating the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). First, the Company's management defined the goal and project alternatives. The goal was to select an optimal RES project suitable for the specific circumstances in the Serbian energy sector, and also for the Company's potentials. The alternatives included: a hydro energy project, a solar energy project, a wind energy project (WEP), and a biomass energy project. Then, the decision-making group was formed, consisting of four company's experts (hereinafter collectively referred to as “the decision-makers”), of different professional backgrounds and affiliations. Second, the decision-makers employed SWOT analysis on the RES projects in Serbia to obtain the decision-making criteria. The decision-making procedure has to be based on 20 SWOT factors. However, each criterion is not of equal importance for investors. This shortcoming has been overcome by introducing AHP. Pairwise comparison was performed using the Expert Choice 2000 software. According to the results, the top-ranking project is the WEP.

A geographic information system (GIS)--based on spatial analysis--was developed for optimizing the SO(2) total emission cut scheme on air pollution in Bor (Serbia), combined with Models-3 modeling system and linear programming model. GIS is mainly used for establishing a multifactor assessment model to quantitatively divide environmental functional zone and also used for selecting control sites in linear programming model. A linear programming model was developed to optimize the emission determined by SO(2) control measures. According to the obtained results, some large emissions need to be cut for about 50%. The improvement of the ecological environment is urgently needed for controlling the background SO(2) pollution in Bor.