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De Beers is gearing up for an autonomous mining roadmap for its Venetia Underground Mine (VUG). Once implemented, the US$2 billion mine became one of the most mechanised and automated mining operations in the world. The VUG replaces open pit operations at the Venetia Diamond Mine and extends mine life to 2046. The new system will start production within 2023 and will use the sub-level cave mining method.
De Beers is gearing up for an autonomous mining roadmap for its Venetia Underground Mine (VUG). Once implemented, the US$2 billion mine became one of the most mechanised and automated mining operations in the world. The VUG replaces open pit operations at the Venetia Diamond Mine and extends mine life to 2046. The new system will start production within 2023 and will use the sub-level cave mining method.
The objective in terms of automation at VUG is to have autonomous mining systems performing multiple mining processes. This is an ambitious goal but achievable given the major technological advances made in recent years, particularly by the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) who produce underground mining machines. In the case of the VUG, the primary technology partner is Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, which manufactures a full range of ‘intelligent’ mining machines that can operate independently underground within access-controlled safety zones or be remotely operated from control rooms on the surface.
De Beers commissioned the first automated trucking loop in South Africa, and one of its kind worldwide, at the Finsch diamond mine in the Northern Cape in 2005. The Finsch system was revolutionary but was limited to one machine type – articulated dump trucks (ADTs), performing one process, namely hauling, on a single level of the mine. By contrast, the new system at VUG will eventually have a number of mining systems operational, with a variety of machines, not just ADTs, executing multiple mining processes within the same operational area. These systems will be deployed and operating simultaneously during a shift on different levels of the mine.
The implementation of automation at the VUG will be carefully phased in on an incremental basis starting with automated machines to autonomous machines The final phase of implementation will see the introduction of fully autonomous mining systems. The key characteristic of autonomous mining systems is the use of multiple autonomous machines which are managed by an integrated central traffic management system. The machines operate in predefined safety zones that are dynamically combined to create autonomous operating areas.
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Autonomous mining not only creates a safer and healthier environment for workers (by removing them from potential high-risk areas of the mine) but, if implemented correctly, is also more productive than traditional techniques when measured in terms of output against available operating time.
