Construction and implementation of the Integrated Operations Centre (in Spanish Gestión Integrada de Operaciones or GIO) of Antofagasta Minerals’ Minera Centinela copper operation in the city of Antofagasta continues to advance. The project covers the digitisation and remoteisation of the operation and the integration of information systems to enable operation of all processes from a single location and in real time. The compnay says the initiative will allow it to leverage its competitiveness and future development.
“The start-up of the GIO covers a total investment of $63 million, including the digitisation of equipment and applications on site. This is a milestone for Antofagasta Minerals because it represents a leap in innovation and technology. It is located in Antofagasta because we want to make the community a part of the positive impacts of the future centre. In turn, given its capabilities, we are giving the possibility of generating a technology development hub for the region,” says Iván Arriagada, Executive President of Antofagasta Minerals.
Minera Centinela says it was the first company of its kind in the world to use thickened tailings on a large scale, a much more environmentally friendly technology that is possible thanks to the fact that it is also one of the few companies that uses seawater without desalination to produce copper. Added to these, among other innovations, is the creation of the GIO. The project, whose physical operation centre will be located in the regional capital, is one of the key steps in the innovation roadmap of the Antofagasta Minerals group.
Along the same lines, the General Manager of Minera Centinela, Carlos Espinoza, explains that: “Unlike the other Integrated Operations Centres in our country, Centinela’s will be located in the city of Antofagasta, because we want it to also be a contributor to regional development in employability, innovation and talent attraction.” Regarding the benefits that this will bring to the operation of Minera Centinela, Espinoza explains that by having all operations connected remotely and in real time, it will be able to have better control of the processes, making them more stable and secure.
Regarding the impact that this new way of managing the mining process will have on the company’s production, Espinoza clarifies that: “It allows us to have more predictable processes with less variability, which facilitates timely decision-making and provides greater efficiency and productivity. In other words, all the business indicators are improved. Finally, we are aiming to increase the competitive position of the company.” Currently the GIO project is in the construction and implementation stage and already has the physical facilities where it will be located in the city of Antofagasta. To date, it has a ‘One Room’ that allows remote viewing of the entire operation of Minera Centinela. Based on project planning, it is expected to be 100% operational by the end of 2022.
