Japanese telecommunications and information technology company NTT Docomo Business has launched a study to determine whether a next-generation optical communications network can safely support remote operation of equipment at Codelco’s El Teniente copper mine, about 1,500 km from its control centre.
The study and proof of concept, commissioned by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, will connect the underground mine with a remote operations centre in Rancagua using NTT’s Innovative Optical and Wireless Network All-Photonics Network (IOWN APN).
The project will evaluate whether the high-capacity, low-latency network can support remote operation of heavy mining equipment, high-definition video monitoring, consolidation of operations centres and a new remote operating model.
“Through this initiative, NTT also aims to enhance safety and operational efficiency in the copper mining industry while creating new use cases for IOWN APN across the entire mining sector,” the company said.
Growing urgency
The project comes as Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer, faces mounting operational challenges at El Teniente. Earlier this week, the mine’s union said suspended development of the Andes Norte section could last as long as two years, compounding production challenges at the world’s largest underground copper mine and tightening an already strained global copper market.
Codelco said the expansion pause followed six months of geological studies that identified greater seismic risks than previously understood at the deeper Andes Norte project, prompting the company to halt development to protect workers.
Improving safety and operational efficiency has become a management priority for Codelco as it seeks to reduce workers’ exposure to underground hazards while addressing shortages of skilled equipment operators. If successful, the trial could expand the use of optical networking technology across the mining industry. NTT said it plans to apply the findings to other mining and energy projects while working with NTT Inc. to broaden deployment of IOWN technologies globally.
