Operations
Autonomous drill rigs are used at Rio Tinto ’ s Pilbara iron ore mines
Rio Tinto ’ s centralized control center in Perth
Rio ’ s Technology & Innovation ( T & I ) group has been vital to the autonomous project , partnering with leading institutions such as the University of Sydney and Imperial College London to innovate new ideas and improve the program ’ s environmental performance .
“ Innovation is the key to improving recovery rates of minerals from rock , mining difficult resource bodies , finding new resource bodies , reducing energy use and restoring landscapes when mining is finished ,” says Harding .
The company ’ s Research and Development is another vital chapter of the program . In addition to innovating new ideas , the R & D team thrives on continuous improvements and finding new ways of making operations more efficient .
“ We have a centralized team of specialists focused on step change improvements in current technologies and operations , but it is not a solo effort : the Mine of the Future™ program is built on strong R & D partnerships ,” says Harding .
The biggest advantage to creating the Mine of the Future™ is data . The company ’ s global operations generate vast amounts of data and
12 November 2014