Rio’s intelligent mine gets funds
RIO Tinto has made a bold move toward starting a robo mine in Australia.
The mining giant announced it would spend $146 million to start initial work at the Koodaideri iron ore project in Western Australia, ahead of a final investment decision expected by the end of the year.
Rio said the Koodaideri mine would be its first “intelligent mine’’, with the latest in hi-tech advances in the industry and using a high level of automation and robotics.
Automated trucks and trains are already used in Aussie mines but the industry is progressively moving towards automating the three Ds: dirty, dangerous and dull jobs.
Rio said the mine would be a large scale, low-cost, highquality project, producing replacement tonnes for declining production at other mines and would form a new production hub for Rio Tinto in the Pilbara for decades to come.
BHP has an automation centre in Brisbane responsible for remote running of equipment in central Queensland.
The funds will be invested in detailed engineering work on key elements of the project, the development of a rail construction camp and the first stage of the Koodaideri accommodation camp. Construction is scheduled for 2019 and first production would be in 2021 if it is approved by the board.
Despite automation the mine would create 2000 jobs during construction and 600 permanent roles.