Epiroc says it continues to accelerate the transformation of the mining industry toward lower emissions, strengthened safety and higher productivity with its autonomous drill rigs having achieved another milestone in successfully drilling the equivalent length of more than once around the world.
The company’s drill rigs, used by mining and construction customers across the world, are increasingly operated autonomously. The company’s Pit Viper surface drill rigs have now drilled holes totalling more than 41 million metres, exceeding the world’s circumference of 40.1 million metres.
The societal benefits generated so far are significant, including a reduction in CO2e emissions of more than 100 000 t. An equivalent in effect would be to plant a new forest the size of the Swedish capital, according to Epiroc. The reduction in CO2e emissions is achieved through increased efficiency of autonomous drilling, higher-precision drilling and a significantly reduced need for travel to the rigs, which can be at a far distance from the control room.
Similarly, Epiroc’s autonomous underground rigs, such as the Simba production drill rigs, are increasingly used by customers. One of Epiroc’s mining customers has drilled more than a million metres autonomously underground using a single Simba rig.
In addition to lower emissions, other benefits of autonomous drilling include a safer and more comfortable work environment for operators, and higher productivity.
“Our autonomous drilling solutions are one example of how we are accelerating the transformation toward a more sustainable future,” Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO, says. “We have a rigorous innovation agenda, also within digitalisation and electrification, to find new ways to reduce the environmental impact, while increasing safety and productivity.”
Epiroc says it has launched several initiatives to support the industry to extract the needed minerals in the most sustainable and efficient way possible. For example, it is working toward offering its complete fleet of underground mining equipment in emission-free versions by 2025, and its full fleet of surface equipment in emission-free versions by 2030. Another example is the partnership with steelmaker SSAB that began in 2022 to produce mining equipment using fossil-free steel.
Epiroc also supports the transition towards a circular economy by providing equipment and services that enable the recycling and reuse of materials. For example, Epiroc’s hydraulic attachments tools are used by the construction industry to process concrete, asphalt and other materials on site, reducing waste and improving resource efficiency.
In 2021, Epiroc received validation from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for the 2030 targets to halve its CO2e emissions in own operations as well as from the use of sold products. The SBTi validated Epiroc’s climate targets as being in line with keeping global warming at a maximum 1.5°C, consistent with the latest climate science and the goal of the Paris Climate Agreement.