The new control centre at Nornickel’s (Norilsk Nickel) Skalisty copper-nickel mine, part of its Polar Division, has now been opened. The facility makes it possible to remotely plan and monitor self-propelled drilling rigs, load rock mass from the tunnelling and blasting units, as well as schedule mining operations. Nornickel had invested RUB277 million in the control centre.
The company stated: “Control centres at Nornickel’s mines enable the Company to deliver significant increase in the efficiency of its mining operations. Such centres have already been launched at Taimyrsky, Oktyabrsky and Komsomolsky mines. Skalisty, the youngest mine in the Norilsk Division and supplier of raw materials for the Talnakh Concentrator, will be Nornickel’s first autonomous mine.”
Prior to the operations control centre, Nornickel established underground infrastructure at the mine as part of its Technological Breakthrough programme. Technicians laid fibre optic cable, introduced radio communications and built a project to position mining equipment and personnel, and set up wireless data transfer points. Access to WiFi is now available in almost all of the mine workings. The mine is also equipped with video cameras in the areas that require special attention.
The centre has 20 automated workplaces. Dispatchers have the key role to maintain operational work and monitor the work in progress both underground and on the surface. The centre also accommodates specialists for backfill operations, anchoring and major construction as well as specialists in various fields of temporary planning. In addition, the centre provides space to house equipment for the remote control of underground machines.
“The opening of the state-of-the-art operations centre is the next step for the Company in implementing a major project to introduce unmanned technologies at the Skalisty mine. The introduction of operations centres is continuing to be implemented, with the Mayak mine joining the programme this year. We also plan a similar centre at the Nadezhda Smelter and at Bear Creek,” said Nikolay Utkin, Nornickel Senior Vice President and Head of the Norilsk Division.
