BHP’s Spence copper mine in Chile has celebrated three months of 100 per cent autonomous operations.
Spence is part of BHP’s Pampa Norte operations in northern Chile. Since achieving full autonomous mining, Spence has moved 80 million tonnes of material without any safety incidents, a result that exceeds the production plan to date.
The milestone was achieved with the help of 33 Komatsu CAEX 980E-5 AT trucks and five Komatsu drilling rigs.
“This is the largest autonomy fleet operating in Latin America and is among the largest in copper production,” Komatsu Cummins Group vice president Carlos Soto said.
“Today the challenge is to continue collaborating with our teams and experience to not only maintain this operation with high standards of efficiency and safety, but to make it a benchmark for the entire mining industry worldwide.”
To celebrate the achievement, a Pampa Norte delegation welcomed Komatsu executives. The group were then transported to the Spence truck shop to witness the results of the first stage of autonomous operations.
The visit was led by BHP Pampa Norte president Cristian Sandoval. They were accompanied by executives of Spence and Technology of BHP Minerals Americas, and Soto represented Komatsu alongside the company’s national and regional executives.
“This process was a challenge that began in a context where there was no confidence that we would be able to achieve the autonomy of our trucks,” Sandoval said.
“On this path we had several relevant milestones, such as the high level of labour reconversion, the full incorporation of women, more than 500 trained workers and excellent safety management.
“Today, Spence exhibits very positive results and can continue to take decisive steps to position our leadership in autonomy at a global level.”
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