WORLD PROSPECTS
industry learnings that we have considered as
part of our own autonomous projects.”
The guideline also promotes cooperation
between the involved parties as a means of easing
the implementation process, according to GMG.
Andy Mulholland, GEOVIA Management Director
at Dassault Systèmes, said: “Mining companies
will need to rely heavily on their technology
partners.” This guideline “sets down a great
framework to be able to collaborate”, he added.
Sathe said: “As technology is moving very fast,
guideline development also should keep pace
with the change.”
As a result, the guideline will be reviewed
and updated on a regular basis, according to
GMG.
GMG said: “Although implementing
autonomous systems creates new challenges,
such as changes to the workforce and the
workplace, their successful deployment adds
definite value, with improved safety and efficiency
and lower maintenance costs. As more operations
move toward the application of these technologies,
this guideline will be an invaluable asset.
Mark O’Brien, Manager, Digital Transformation
at CITIC Pacific Mining, said the process of
developing the guideline highlighted “just how
much there is to factor into deciding whether to
implement autonomy, whether you’re ready for it
and what the journey is going to look like.
“Having this all captured in a single, well-
considered document is a terrific resource.”
www.gmggroup.org
Codelco looking to the electric mine
C
odelco says it will trial a Komatsu hybrid
LHD at its El Teniente underground
copper mine, in Chile, as the company
looks to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas it
emits from its operations.
The diesel-electric hybrid is likely to increase
productivity by 10-20% and cut diesel
consumption by at least 25%, Codelco said.
The LHD is just one of a number of pieces of
new equipment the company is bringing into the
El Teniente operation to reduce its carbon
footprint. The others include an RDH-Scharf
electric scissor lift (the Liftmaster 600 EB),
which comes with operating costs 70% lower
than the diesel equivalent; two 100%-electric
buses to transport workers from Rancagua to
the El Teniente operations (at 3,100 m high); and
a 100%-electric bus link for urban use within
Rancagua.
“Codelco’s electromobility strategy also
contemplates the incorporation of an electric
bus for the Chuquicamanta Division for the first
half of this year,” Codelco said in a statement
translated from Spanish to English. “In addition,
El Teniente will add three additional electric
buses during the year, a second LHD, this time
100% electric, and an electric mining truck for
the interior of the mine.”
Octavio Araneda, a Vice President of
Operations for Codelco, said (also in Spanish to
English translation): “In the framework of our
Sustainability Master Plan, in Codelco, we
execute a transition program to gradually
decarbonise the energy matrix of our operations.
“An edge of this initiative is our strategy of
electromobility that, after positively avoiding a
pilot experience with light vehicles last year,
today celebrates this new milestone with
unprecedented production teams. ”
On the Komatsu hybrid LHD, Codelco said the
electric drive machine has no gearbox or filters
and uses diesel only for the generation of
“motive power”.
“It will be used industrially for the first time
in Codelco El Teniente to start marketing it to
the rest of the industry internationally,” Codelco
said.
Komatsu has, so far, released details on an 18
t hybrid LHD (the Joy 18HD) and a 22 t hybrid
model (Joy 22HD). Last year, Byrnecut Australia
said it was to trial a Joy 22HD at OZ Minerals’
Prominent Hill copper-gold mine in Australia in
the June quarter of 2018, as it looked to test
production efficiencies, diesel savings and
overall costs associated with this equipment.
Codelco is hoping use of this hybrid LHD will
bring down operating costs by 30%, increase
the reliability and availability of LHDs by 10-20%
– due to less engine hours, longer life and
easier replacement of components – and reduce
emissions and heat released by over 25%.
The company is after an even bigger boost in
Normet gearing up for SmartDrive
A
s Normet continues its new technology push,
it has decided to invest in its lisalmi facility in
Finland, the company’s core production and
research and development site.
The company will put €3 million-5 million ($3.35
6 International Mining | MAY 2019
million-5.58 million) into building a new digital
testing centre, expanding the production capability
and investing in production automation, it said. The
target is to improve productivity in lisalmi to ensure
both competitiveness and to have manufacturing
capacity to support
business growth.
The
announcement came
shortly after Normet
launched a fully-
electric offering for
mining and tunnelling
construction at the
Bauma fair in Munich,
earlier this month.
Its SmartDrive
technology is a
scissor lift use, expecting reliability and
availability of the new machine to go up 20-
30%, while the energy expenditure of the
electric scissor platform is expected to be just
75-149 kW. Noise reduction is estimated at 70%
compared with the diesel version, while the
heat released is expected to drop 80-90% when
compared with the diesel version.
The XMQ6130 eTech electric buses
transferring workers from Rancagua to El
Teniente have been manufactured by King Long
in China and can hold 44 passengers, while the
urban electric buses, also built by King Long, are
the model XMQ6127e for up to 87 passengers.
www.codelco.com; www.mining.komatsu
sophisticated and fully-engineered battery-electric
architecture able to operate underground totally
emission-free, saving costs at the same time, it said.
The company also used the event to showcase its
SmartScan 3D laser scanning technology to validate
the spraying quality and SmartSpray, the next step
towards fully-automated concrete spraying
technology, according to Normet.
In the latest lisalmi announcement, Normet said
it expected the demand for both for fully-electric
and diesel-powered machines to grow, hence its
planned investment.
Kari Hämäläinen, SVP Equipment Business Line,
Normet, said: “lisalmi is the core production and
research and development site for us. We want to
ensure we have the best technology capabilities to
meet the demand of future. Streamlining the
manufacturing process and increasing productivity
is also critical to ensure our competitiveness going
forward.” www.normet.com