Key
building blocks for automated mine-to-port iron ore operations are
being commissioned by Rio Tinto. These include:
�
Mine operations in the Pilbara
to be controlled 1,300 kilometres away at a new centre in Perth;
�
Driverless trains to carry
iron ore on most of the 1,200 km of track;
�
Driverless �intelligent� truck
fleet; and
�
Remote control �intelligent�
drills
Tom
Albanese, Rio Tinto chief executive, unveiled his vision of the
�mine of the future� in Perth today
as part of Rio Tinto�s drive to maintain its position as Australia�s leading iron
ore producer. The Group aims to be the leader in integrated and automated mining and transport in the Pilbara iron
ore region, leading to greater efficiency, lower production costs
and more attractive working conditions that will help Rio Tinto to
recruit and retain staff in the highly competitive labour
market.
Major components of the �mine of the future� are being
commissioned in Rio Tinto Iron Ore operations in 2008 and 2009
including establishing a Remote Operations Centre (ROC) in Perth to
manage operations in the Pilbara mines hundreds of kilometres away.
This allows operators overseeing Rio Tinto Iron Ore mines and process plant facilities to be
physically located in Perth, Western Australia.
Remote control �intelligent� trains, drills and trucks
will be operational within Rio Tinto Iron Ore during
2008. Humans will no longer need to be hands on as all this
equipment will be �autonomous� � able to make decisions on what to
do based on their environment and interaction with other machines.
Operators will oversee the equipment from the ROC.
Tom
Albanese said, �Rio Tinto is changing the
face of mining. We have at least a three year start on the
rest of the industry, which has focused on discrete technologies
rather than modernising the whole mine-to-port operation.
We�re aiming to be the global leaders in fully integrated,
automated operations. It will allow for more efficient
operations and directly confront the escalating costs associated
with basing employees at remote sites,
giving us a competitive advantage as an employer along the
way."
Remote
Operations Centre
A
Remote Operations Centre (ROC) will be built for Rio Tinto near
Perth�s domestic airport. When
completed in 2009, the ROC will house at least 320 employees who
will work with Pilbara-based colleagues to oversee, operate and
optimise the use of key assets and processes, including all mines,
processing plants, the rail network, ports and power plants.
Operational planning and scheduling functions will also be based in
the ROC.
ROC-based management would oversee pit and plant control,
as well as manage the most effective use of power distribution and
support activity such as maintenance planning. Remote
operation of RTIO mines and plant in the Pilbara has already been
successfully trialled.
The
centre will feature an operational control room, office block and
supporting infrastructure, and allow for potential significant
expansions beyond its initial scale.
Driverless
trains
Studies are being finalised on the application of
Autonomous Train Operations technology in a heavy haul capacity and
are expected to lead to significant efficiency benefits.
Mainline trials conducted with the Western Australia Office of Rail
Safety have progressed well and a decision on the next stage of the
project is expected in mid-2008. Automated rail management is
the first major operation scheduled to be run from the Remote
Operations Centre.
�Intelligent�
driverless trucks
Rio
Tinto will introduce into the Pilbara the industry-leading Komatsu
Autonomous Haulage System, which will allow for a fleet of 320 tonne
off-highway trucks to be operated without drivers. The system will
be commissioned before the end of 2008 and is expected to be more
widely deployed in new and existing Rio Tinto Iron Ore
operations by 2010.
Remote control
�intelligent� drills
Rio
Tinto is already using bespoke autonomous drill technology in the
Pilbara to support the �mine of the future� strategy.
A pathway to
fully automated mine-to-port operations
Rio
Tinto began work on defining building blocks for the �mine of the
future� over a decade ago and key components required for an
integrated mine-to-port operating system are being assembled and
tested by Rio Tinto Iron Ore.
A
number of key technologies have been introduced on a staged basis,
beginning in 2006 with the development of
autonomous drilling rigs for the Pilbara. In early 2007, Rio
Tinto established and funded on a long term basis the Rio Tinto
Centre for Mine Automation in partnership with The University of
Sydney. Under this partnership Rio Tinto has secured exclusive
access to world renowned robotics experts dedicated to addressing
Rio Tinto�s �mine of the future� opportunities.
This
year Rio Tinto Iron Ore will start running extensive
trials at dedicated mine test site. Trials will combine the
world leading Komatsu Autonomous Driverless Haulage System with a
range of other advanced remote control and autonomous technologies
in order to provide an industrial scale proving ground and
template. Experience gained by the business will allow
for further deployments in the Pilbara in 2010 and will also have
application at other Rio Tinto mining operations.
The
�mine of the future� programme will provide opportunities for
technology driven performance improvements to support Rio Tinto Iron
Ore�s announced plans to take annual global iron ore production
beyond 600 million tonnes.