A load and haul automation system is headed to Codelco’s El Teniente copper mine in Chile’s Andes Mountains thanks to a new order, with selected supplier Sandvik also inking a connected load and haul equipment deal to bolster the fleet.
The system order is valued at SEK 250 million (about US$27.4 million), and the hardware deal has an initial value of SEK 150 million (about US$16.4 million), both booked for 4Q2021.
The contract with Codelco runs from this year through 2027; in 2022 and 2023 the operator will take delivery of Toro TH663i trucks and Sandvik LH514 loaders, as well as an AutoMine Fleet system that can be scaled to support up to 32 machines. It will also receive AutoMine production area hardware for future expansions over several years.
Then, between 2023 and 2027, Sandvik will deliver additional trucks and loaders to the mine to add to the AutoMine Fleet system.
AutoMine Underground for loading and hauling offers autonomous and tele-remote operation of a wide range of loaders and trucks and provides tele-remote to fully autonomous operation for a single machine or multiple machines, including full fleet automation with automatic mission and traffic control capability.
AutoMine Fleet systems is ideal for a fleet of underground loaders and trucks sharing the same automated production area, providing traffic control capabilities and a wide range of interfaces for infrastructure integration.
The block cave El Teniente mine, which additionally produces molybdenum, gold and silver, is expected to operate through 2072.Source: Sandvik