A slew of autonomous and high-tech equipment could help bring emissions down as Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto inaugurates what it refers to as its most "technologically-advanced mine" in the Pilbara region.
A fleet of 23 Caterpillar 793s will transport ore and provide tracking using sensors that will provide an assessment of ground conditions. Image credit: Caterpillar Inc
Autonomous trucks, trains, water cars, digital twins and robotics will all power the iron ore mine in Banjima country, with its opening being joined by the Banjima people, the traditional owners of the area, alongside Western Australia's Minister for Mines Bill Johnston at a ceremony on June 21.
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The culmination of more than three years of work and over 14 million work hours, the mine has been in development since April 2019 - marking the miner's 17th project in the region, known in particular for its vast deposits of iron ore.
More recently, the firm has been looking to boost its standing with local aboriginal people and involve them more in their mining projects on their lands in response to myriad controversies, with the most prominent being the Juukan Gorge explosion in 2020, which lead to its former CEO resigning in disgrace.
Tinto reports the mine created 3,000 temporary construction jobs during its development, and is set to host 600 permanent positions now it is open.
Regarding this subject, the miner's head of iron ore Simon Trott said: “We’ve worked closely with both the Banjima and Yindjibarndi peoples through the planning and development stages of Gudai-Darri and we look forward to partnering with them into the future to ensure the project achieves significant social and economic benefits.
"Gudai-Darri represents a step-change in the deployment of automation and technology within our iron ore business and a fantastic demonstration of the talent, ingenuity and capability that exists in Western Australia".
Credit: Rio Tinto / Twitter
Perhaps more noteworthy is the sheer amount of new technologies present at the mine, including 23 autonomous electric trucks supplied by Caterpillar, and three autonomous drills, which use real-time data to track dig progression designed to track ground conditions and improve safety.
New Caterpillar 793s could also see their first deployments at the mine, with Caterpillar also supplying water carts which have been designed to monitor water levels and reduce waste at the mine.
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The ore from the mine will also be carted by the AutoHaul network, an autonomous train haul network in the Pilbara region, supplied by Hitachi, that has been in operation since June 2019.
The mine will also see the use of what is claimed to be the world's first bucketwheel reclaimer - a machine used for surface mining. Traditionally these require prolonged shutdowns as certain parts are removed, but the new one is replaced in its entirety, which could stand to reduce shutdown times and improve safety.
Mined ore will also be transported via a conveyer belt to an on-site ore sampling laboratory, which uses robots to monitor samples, both lump and fines, which will help grade the ore.
The heavy mobile equipment warehouse will host four automatic guided vehicles to help in the handling of pallet frames, complete with laser scanners and auto-stop functions.
Each team member will also be equipped with tablets in a bid to cut down on paper waste and the increased communication could also limit unnecessary travel. The mine will also see the company's first digital twin - technology that provides an interactive 3D render of the site complete with technical data that should give greater transparency to operations and allow for a better overall view of the real one, including potential hazards.
All of this will be powered by around 83,000 solar panels, equivalent to around 34MW of energy.
All assets are monitored at an operations centre 1,500 km away in Perth.
More astonishingly, the site also proves the potential for greenfield sites, with the entire mine having been constructed on one, according to Trott.
“Gudai-Darri is our first greenfield mine in the Pilbara in more than a decade and a multi-billion-dollar investment in the State of Western Australia that will operate for decades to come", he explained.
A total of around AU$3.2 billion was spent on goods and services for the project and around AU$1.5 billion in contracts has been awarded to various partners, including NRW, Primero, DTMT Construction Company, Southern Cross Electrical Engineering and Monadelphous Engineering Associates.
Local aboriginal businesses were awarded around AU$100 million.
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“It’s great to be here today to celebrate this momentous occasion. I’m impressed by Rio Tinto’s innovation and sustainability; this is a prototype of the mine of the future. Once the new solar farm is complete it will be able to power one-third of Gudai-Darri’s operational needs with renewable energy", Western Australia’s Minister for Mines and Petroleum; Energy, Hon. Bill Johnston said regarding the event.
“This multi-billion-dollar investment in Western Australia is great for the economy and its 40-year mine life will support thousands of jobs into the future", he added.
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