Eldorado Gold in a recent blog post homed in on its remote mucking project at the Olympias gold-silver-lead-zinc mine in northern Greece, located on the Halkidiki Peninsula. The team at Olympias began implementing a remote mucking program in 2023 to improve mine safety and productivity following successful implementation of similar technology at the Lamaque Complex in Canada.

The mining group states: “Innovation and technology are essential parts of the mining industry and a key part of our work at Eldorado Gold. From exploration to sustainability, our foundation in innovation and dedication to finding a better way to do things drives our work around the world.”

Mucking is the process of removing excavated ore and waste out of headings for transportation to surface or for internal relocation to remuck bays. Historically, this would be done by having a load operator in the mine, directing a loader.

Remote mucking makes use of video and automation technology to provide the operator with a safer and more comfortable environment – above ground. Located in a control room on the surface, the operator can direct the loader using screens, a control panel and joysticks. In some situations, the operator may also choose to activate the autonomous mode, where the loader will operate almost entirely on its own, basing its manoeuvres on what it senses in the surrounding environment.

Eldorado Gold adds: “The greatest benefit of remote mucking is that it takes people out of harm’s way. Our team on the ground takes every precaution; however, there is always an element of risk when mobile equipment is involved. We know from our recent health and safety perceptions survey that our frontline workers in Greece have a strong favourable sentiment about having the tools and equipment needed to complete their work safely. It’s continuous improvement ideas like remote mucking that will help this sentiment continue trending in a favourable direction on future surveys.”

The miner states that remote mucking also increases productivity by reducing operational delays between shifts. While manual mucking would require a break between blasting and mucking to allow emissions to clear before operators entered the mine, remote mucking enables an above-ground operator to control the loader from afar almost immediately after blasting, reducing downtime and improving safety.

“We see remote and automated mucking as a way to improve safety, work environment and productivity. Implementing remote mucking will provide our load operators with the best possible working environment, and ultimately, make us more productive,” said Niklas Frank, Senior Vice President, Operations.

In 2023, Eldorado Gold began work at Olympias to introduce remote mucking. “The project has been commissioned, and we are now training operators, who will go on to train the rest of the team – 25 people in total. Early feedback during the training has been positive. Operators are keen to embrace innovation and technology and have shared that they find remote mucking, controlled from the surface, preferable to going underground.”

At Olympias, a control room has been set up on the surface with space for two operators and the miner expects to have remote mucking fully implemented (for two loaders in the fleet) by the end of 2024 with two shifts per day.

Eldorado adds: “Thorough training and cross-departmental collaboration are essential to the success of the remote mucking implementation. The team on the ground has worked closely with IT and the electrical department to ensure that our underground LTE network remains connected, and that communication is never compromised. Sandvik, whose scoops we use at Olympias, has also been closely involved in the project and in supporting training. On average, remote mucking training takes 80 hours per operator.”

Specifically, Olympias is using Sandvik’s AutoMine® Multi-Lite, which allows the operator to remotely control and simultaneously supervise multiple underground equipment from a safe and comfortable environment, reducing exposure to dust, noise, vibrations and other mine hazards. This creates a safer work environment for both the operator and mine personnel. It also allows for automated missions in dedicated production areas.