Glencore says its Lomas Lab initiative at its Lomas Bayas copper mine in Chile continues to progress. The miner states: “We’re taking innovation and operational efficiency to a new level with our digitalisation and automation technology initiatives.” This project is also playing an important role in proving out new technologies that can then be applied to other Glencore operations around the world.

In the first quarter of 2024, Lomas Bayas completed the conversion of four Komatsu 930E-5 trucks to autonomy using Komatsu’s Frontrunner technology, and it expects to conclude the piloting stage in May 2024. The company has stated that should this be successful, the project will see a gradual increase the number of autonomous trucks until the entire fleet of 27 units goes autonomous by 2025.

In addition, Lomas Bayas has successfully integrated two autonomous drilling rigs, marking another milestone in our journey towards Mining 4.0. These are both Caterpillar drills converted to autonomy using FLANDERS’ ARDVARC technology. It is the first operation to adopt intelligent drill technology globally in Glencore mining operations.

Finally, the mining group says that commitment to ongoing training has been instrumental in the process. As an example, more than 600 mobile team drivers have been trained on the mine’s collision avoidance system (CAS), prioritising safety. The mine has also held workshops to certify more than 40 people in the operation of the autonomous trucks.