Rio Tinto to double Pilbara autonomous drill rig fleet https://thewest.com.au/business/min...bara-autonomous-drill-rig-fleet-ng-b88821957z Rio Tinto is continuing to ramp up its autonomous operations in the Pilbara with plans to double its fleet of production drill rigs in the Pilbara that are operated remotely. Four additional drills, retrofitted with autonomous drilling system technology, were recently deployed at Rio’s Yandicoogina mine, adding to the existing seven autonomous drills at the West Angelas mine. A further nine drills will be deployed by the end of the year, bringing the total fleet to 20. The managing director of Rio’s planning, integration and assets for iron ore, Kellie Parker, said the expansion of the fleet delivered significant productivity gains and enabled the company to drill more safely, accurately and consistently. “The deployment of additional rigs, operated from our operations centre in Perth, offers significant advantages as part of our integrated system, which optimises our autonomous trains, trucks and drills and provides increased operability and flexibility,” she said. “As pioneers of automation and innovation, we continue exploring new technologies to ensure Rio Tinto remains a leader in the global mining industry.” Few jobs are likely to be affected in the transition, but Ms Parker said Rio was committed to working closely with employees to provide opportunities for new roles, new skills, redeployment and retraining. Rio said the autonomous drills provided a significant safety advantage by reducing the number of employees exposed to potential hazards and fatigue levels, as well as limiting exposure to dust, noise and vibration. All drills are monitored remotely by operators in Rio’s operations centre in Perth, more than 1500km away, and to date have operated injury free, the company said. The automation of drilling has increased productivity because of the increased number of hours the machines operate as well as the numbers of metres the drill achieves per hour. ADS was first used at Rio’s West Angeles mine in 2008. Rio’s 11 ADS-enabled drills have now drilled more than 5000kms. The automated blast-hole drill system enables an operator using a single console at alocation remote from the machinery to operate multiple drill rigs from multiple manufacturers. Rio is also rolling out a driverless train program across its Pilbara operations that is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Rio Tinto and Alcoa have unveiled a new process to make aluminium that they say eliminates all direct greenhouse emissions from the traditional smelting process, and that they believe is the industry’s biggest innovation in more than a century. Technology giant Apple is also involved in the project, with its chief executive officer Tim Cook saying the company hoped to one day use aluminium made without direct greenhouse gas emissions in its products. In an announcement released to Fairfax Media ahead of an event in Canada early Friday morning (Australian time) Rio and Alcoa said they would form a joint venture company, Elysis, to develop the new smelting process. They hope to have the process commercialised in 2024. The joint venture company will be based in Montreal, Canada, with a research facility in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec. Rio Tinto, Alcoa, the Canadian national government, the government of Quebec, and technology giant Apple will provide $188 million (Canadian dollars) for commercialisation of the new aluminium smelting process. “This is a revolutionary smelting process that can deliver a significant reduction in carbon emissions. It builds on the key role aluminium has to play in driving human progress, by making products infinitely recyclable, stronger, lighter and more fuel efficient,” said Rio Tinto chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques. “Rio Tinto is proud to work with Alcoa, Apple and the governments of Canada and Quebec, to drive an innovation that can transform the industry and our customers’ supply chains,” he said. Apple boss Tim Cook said: “Apple is committed to advancing technologies that are good for the planet and help protect it for generations to come. We are proud to be part of this ambitious new project." Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, whose government will invest $60 million (Canadian dollars) in the joint venture company, said the announcement marked a historic day. “Today’s announcement will create and maintain thousands of jobs for Canadians, significantly reduce Canada’s carbon footprint, and further strengthen the aluminium industry in North America. "It is a truly historic day for the aluminium industry – and for all Canadian aluminium workers – who play such an important role in our economy and our country’s future,” he said. In a statement Rio Tinto said the new smelting process had been developed after decades of research and development. Rio said that if fully implemented at Canada’s smelters, it could eliminate the equivalent of 6.5 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. A major source of emissions from the production of aluminium in Australia is the large demand for electricity particularly in Victoria where power is sourced from brown coal. https://www.smh.com.au/business/com...uminium-smelting-process-20180510-p4zek7.html