Rio Tinto , under the leadership of Danie
WORLD PROSPECTS
Rio Tinto ’ s CAS program gathers pace
Burger , its Chief Advisor , Underground
Technology , working with Dan Mead , Principal Advisor , Technical Productivity , is one of the global miners taking real and concerted action with collision avoidance technology outside of the activity legislated in South Africa recently .
The current journey of its CAS program commenced in 2020 when Rio Tinto developed and implemented its Underground Mobile Equipment Strategy . This strategy primarily focused on three critical safety areas : eliminating vehicle interactions with personnel , reducing diesel particulates , and minimising underground mobile equipment fires . An extensive Vehicle Interaction Control Effectiveness ( VICE ) assessment was carried out across all underground mine sites , revealing that each site would require some form of Engineering Controls in the shape of Vehicle Intervention Technology Solutions ( VITS ) to mitigate these incidents .
In 2021 , a thorough market assessment was conducted , featuring benchmark discussions and site visits , to identify suitable and proven technology solutions that would effectively address the gaps in controls highlighted during the VICE assessments . At the close of August 2022 , a decision was made to initiate a dedicated Research and Development project aimed at validating these systems within one of Rio Tinto ’ s underground operations , namely Kennecott Underground copper mine in Utah . As part of this initiative , Nerospec SK ’ s NeroHUB – an agnostic Vehicle Intervention Controller ( VIC ) – would be installed on three different types of vehicles . Eric Pohlmann , CEO of Nerospec SK , remarked to IM : “ In addition to enabling any mining vehicle to automatically halt during critical proximity events , the system also offers the advantage of having an onboard black box flight recorder that logs and transmits fleet information .”
Over a two-month period in 2023 , each vehicle type was individually connected and tested with three different Proximity Detection System ( PDS ) vendors . This rigorous evaluation examined a diverse range of potential interaction scenarios relevant to Kennecott Underground , with systems assessed for their performance against these scenarios . The findings and observations were compiled into a comprehensive report , supported by video documentation . Nerospec spearheaded the testing in collaboration with Rio Tinto , ultimately leading to the selection of PBE Axell ’ s PDS system . PBE Axell is part of PBE Group .
The decisive factor was the detection reliability of the indication signal , as other PDS systems exhibited inconsistencies that caused vehicles to slow down and speed up unpredictably , or to stop momentarily before resuming movement . Such erratic behaviour is precisely what mining operations seek to eliminate ; in the context of a Collision Avoidance System ( CAS ), consistency is paramount .
Following this successful testing phase , the Collision Avoidance System ( CAS ) project is currently advancing through its deployment phases at both the Kennecott Underground Operation in the USA and the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia , one of the world ’ s most significant block caving operations . As of November 2024 , approximately 15 vehicles at Kennecott had been equipped with a full CAS , while Oyu Tolgoi was awaiting the delivery of installation test kits , with full installation expected to commence in 2025 .
The rollout strategy prioritises installations into three distinct groups . The highest priority vehicles , including loaders and trucks – along with battery electric vehicles – are being equipped first . A subsequent group of over 50 medium-priority machines is slated to begin installation by the end of 2024 . Overall , the CAS project aims to integrate around 120 vehicles at Kennecott and more than 450 at Oyu Tolgoi , and it represents a comprehensive approach to enhancing safety and operational efficiency at the operations . The diverse fleet encompasses Sandvik battery electric vehicles , conventional diesel primary equipment from Sandvik and Epiroc , and a variety of utility and ancillary machines from manufacturers such as Normet , as well as several light vehicles .
Back to the PDS provider , and Jason Stout , PBE Axell VP Corporate Development told IM : “ Reliability , accuracy and interoperability is critical to any CAS solution and PBE ’ s global success is based on these factors , through EMESRT Levels 1-9 . With a low cost of ownership , ‘ PAS ’, PBE ’ s CAS solution can be reconfigured to suite any vehicle types . Through the extensive testing program that Rio Tinto committed to , in operational environments , PBE was able to prove that the solution is industry leading and excelled against these fundamental requirements . In addition , the extended suite of technologies and offering such as Vehicle Test Station , Tag Issuing Station and a software solution that allows for accurate reporting and control of worksites , PAS was able to highlight the full value of a mine wide total solution . In addition , PBE can take full ownership of the solution during vehicle design , installation , commissioning and ongoing maintenance with our own on-site teams , 24 × 7 , 365 days a year .”
He added : “ What Level 9 EMESRT adaptation has provided is the emergence of a minimal number of credible solutions in a market that was initially driven by simply providing some form of protection to meet regulation . Over the 10 years that PBE ’ s PAS solution has been developed , the focus was always on maximum protection for seamless operation above and below ground , and Level 9 was at the forefront of our design . Our product was accepted by Rio Tinto due to our Level 9 performance and the fundamental requirements of reliability , accuracy , interoperability with no nuisance alarms in any mining environment with any type of vehicle or asset .” www . riotinto . com ; https :// sk . nerospec . com ; https :// pbeaxell . com
4 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2025