IM Editorial Director Paul Moore had the chance to go to the Teck Quebrada Blanca Built-in Operations Centre in Santiago final yr, gaining perception into arguably one of the crucial superior, holistic, and efficient IO implementations but in mining.
The Quebrada Blanca (QB) copper mine has been in operation since 1994 and was acquired by Teck in 2007. This acquisition preceded the event and development of a brand new operational section, involving a shift from producing copper cathodes to copper focus. This transition introduced distinctive challenges but in addition alternatives to use the newest applied sciences and improvements.
From Santiago, Chile, the know-how of the Built-in Operations Centre (IOC) at Quebrada Blanca permits your complete manufacturing chain to be operated with out geographical boundaries. In depth connectivity assist and built-in mine-to-port course of management allow real-time operational knowledge acquisition and guarantee everlasting connection and collaboration with the on-site workforce, situated 1,700 km away and 4,400 m above sea degree within the Tarapacá area.
Teck’s IOC boasts intensive connectivity and energy assist, that includes totally digital screens that show operational knowledge in actual time. These are visualised via a number of interconnected video partitions put in in 360 levels, making them probably the most superior in South America. The wi-fi system permits connection from totally different workstations for the greater than 200 folks working in shifts, 24 hours a day, seven days every week.
IM visited the IOC situated within the Las Condes district, having the chance to talk with Mario Ortiz, who was then the Supervisor of Built-in Operations. This place is presently held by engineer Viviana Torres. Ortiz has a major background in IoT know-how and platforms and has been with Teck for over a decade, holding numerous growth positions. He was away between 2021 and his return in October 2023, coinciding with the inauguration of the brand new operational section. Right now, he serves as Deputy Normal Supervisor of the Quebrada Blanca operation.
Primarily based on his expertise within the built-in operations mannequin that coordinates efforts between the IOC, upkeep, and operations groups, Mario Ortiz defined: “The IOCs should not simply concerning the centre itself; they symbolize the materialisation of a philosophy. And never all IOCs are the identical: many mines have opened them, however they proceed to copy all the things on the location.”
He added: “Right now we’re reworking the best way we mine, abandoning siloed work to evolve in the direction of the combination of individuals, processes, and techniques – a extra collaborative mining with a concentrate on folks. At Teck, we’re actually driving manufacturing choices centrally. For us, IOC includes all the things surrounding the decision-making course of in a tactical approach; in fact, what we’re searching for is to enhance productiveness and effectivity all through the worth chain.”
Three pillars of success
The Teck IO mannequin is constructed on three pillars: folks, processes, and know-how. From the attitude of individuals, which incorporates all the things associated to the work tradition underneath the brand new IOC-centric working mannequin, it encompasses upkeep, engineering, planning, and budgeting personnel.
Operational knowledge, because of strong connectivity and energy assist, reveals the entire operation of all processes in actual time. The interconnected screens give the sensation of being within the subject. Subsequently, management panels are customised in response to totally different capabilities, as a part of a collaborative surroundings.
The Built-in Operations Centre reduces the variety of folks uncovered to the situations and dangers of a standard mining operation. The implementation of autonomous and distant management processes features a sequence of security and accident prevention gadgets, with bodily and technological boundaries that strengthen the care of employees.
This built-in mannequin just isn’t achieved just by working remotely. For this method to achieve success, it’s crucial to combine folks, sustaining connection and empathy with the location groups. Change administration and empathy have additionally been vital. “The individuals who work from the IOC dwell a really totally different actuality from those that are within the operation. All key personnel have a web site go to plan that particulars the frequency of visits to the manufacturing web site, and we do that to scale back the bridging impact between the IOC and the mine.”
Ortiz says that Teck has taken the IO mannequin additional than every other mining firm by way of placing the underlying ideas into observe. The identical Administration Working System (MOS) is getting used for all its operations, not just for QB, however with all Teck property working underneath the identical ideas, together with Carmen de Andacollo, its different copper operation in Chile.
A novel answer for a singular mine
Teck Quebrada Blanca is a world-class deposit and one of many world’s main copper operations. It’s situated at excessive altitude and is the one main new mine on the earth that has had built-in operations remotely managed from day one. Different mines are outdated and IOCs have been added later.
From the mine to the port, QB is 165 km away, so geographically talking, the operations are fairly fragmented. QB has a devoted port, managed by Teck, Punta Patache, about 50 km from Iquique, the place it has a desalination plant.
The IOC at QB started to be deployed in 2021, when there have been solely six vehicles and many of the web site was underneath development. That is additionally uncommon, because the IO mannequin has been used from such an early stage.
The Built-in Operations Centre reduces the variety of folks uncovered to the situations and dangers of a standard mining operation. The brand new operational section of Quebrada Blanca has autonomous vehicles for transporting ore, operated from the IOC. The autonomous system consists of a number of security measures that enable for secure interplay with operated by hand gear, and being driverless they restrict the dangers related to fatigue and drowsiness which are confronted by heavy truck operators in conventional operations at excessive altitude, in addition to the dangers of interplay of smaller autos and enormous mining gear.
In the meantime, the implementation of an industrial-scale desalination plant is critical, making QB the primary operation within the Tarapacá Area to make use of desalinated seawater for all its manufacturing processes. The desalination course of and its transportation to the operation excessive above sea degree is managed from the IOC and permits for probably the most environment friendly use of the water.
The IOC also can provide power dynamically, offering power in response to the wants of every operational space. This enables for higher total effectivity in power consumption. Having its personal system of connection between manufacturing and provide processes facilitates extra environment friendly supplies administration.
The usage of this kind of know-how for mining growth additionally makes it doable to measure and scale back carbon emissions and make extra environment friendly use of power. Its design complies with eco-efficiency requirements by way of the sources utilized in its development, water use, and the promotion of higher power efficiency.
Teck is a supporter of and also will be current at The Electrical Mine 2025, which can happen between Could 13 and 15 in Santiago at Centro Parque in Las Condes – see www.theelectricmine.com
