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Rio Tinto Launches its Operations Centre
06/28/2010 - Rio Tinto has opened its new Operations Centre—a key part of the “Mine of the Future,” in Perth, Western Australia—after six months ramping up to full capacity. It is now the primary control center for Rio Tinto's network of mines, rail systems, infrastructure facilities, and port operations in the Pilbara.
Rio Tinto has opened its new Operations Centre—a key part of the “Mine of the Future,” in Perth, Western Australia—after six months ramping up to full capacity. The Operations Centre is now the primary control center for Rio Tinto's extensive network of mines, rail systems, infrastructure facilities, and port operations in the Pilbara.
The center features 200 controllers and schedulers and more than 230 technical planning and support staff, using networks that ensure all Pilbara operations up to 1500 km away are controlled from Perth with maximum efficiency.
"Two and a half years ago Rio Tinto announced that it would press ahead with plans to create the 'Mine of the Future' to build on the technology advantage we had established over our peers," said Sam Walsh, Rio Tinto Chief Executive Iron Ore and Australia. "Since then we have faced an astonishing array of challenges, including the global financial crisis, but we did not waver in our commitment. This Operations Centre is fundamental to our vision of the Pilbara as a single, integrated 'one mine' logistics system.
"We are already seeing the advantages this investment delivers,” Walsh continued. “We can now operate our Pilbara iron ore operations above nameplate capacity, redefining the limits of what was considered possible. And these benefits flow directly to our bottom line.
"There is no other mining operation anywhere in the world attempting this on this scale. Our driverless trucks, remotely operated drill and blasting, automated train systems and remote train loading functions are just the start of a revolution that is transforming the way we extract value from our resources, and will result in a far better, safer industry than could have been imagined even a decade ago."
Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the U.K., combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Ltd., which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Its business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminum, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc), and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe, and southern Africa.
