Inside the mine of the future

In the iron ore fields of Pilbara, Western Australia, a brave new world is taking shape. Anticipating a demand for raw materials unprecedented in human history, UK giant Rio Tinto is sketching out its blueprint for the ‘Mine of the Future’, a precisely controlled network of autonomous, interlinked operations that will produce almost half a billion tonnes of iron a year.

Its developer likens it to mining’s version of a modern car plant — albeit one with a factory floor bigger than the UK. The scale of the operation may be daunting but it is the only rational response to a daunting situation.

Mining operations, which now account for about seven per cent of global energy use, are going to have to grow by an order of magnitude to meet the booming demand for commodities from the emerging economies. And the industry is going to have to innovate like never before to meet spiralling demand while minimising energy use and ensuring workforce safety.