Future of Smart Mining – Rio Tinto to Bring to Jadar Modern Technology, Electric Vehicles, Surface Cut Operating Center...

In the operating center on the surface cut of the Jadar mine, from a safe distance, an engineer controls electric vehicles at a depth of around 800 meters. With the help of state-of-the-art technology, 3D displays and automated systems, he monitors the extraction and processing of the jadarite mineral from the modern underground mine.

That's what a usual working day in a 21st century mine will look like in the future, and this mine will not be located in the USA or Australia, but in Serbia, near Loznica.

Jadar is an important project for Rio Tinto, but also an important investment which will have an impact on the economy of Serbia, says Tod Diebold, a manager at Rio Tinto in charge of the Jadar Project.

– Jadar will be one of the modern mines with the most sophisticated technology – Diebold said at the 10th International Conference on Mineral Resources in Serbia, at the panel called “The Future of Smart Mining”.

Electric vehicles, a fully modern operating center, the implementation of 3D technologies are the innovations that will make the employees at the mine, as he says, the labor force of the future, and the development of Jadar, as the company has announced, will bring Serbia an investment of USD 1.5 billion.

Diebold says that Rio Tinto supports new technologies in order to monitor the workers' activities and level of tiredness, and vehicle management systems contribute to improving precisely those values of the company.

– Environmental regulations are very important to us. Everything we are building is in line with that. That's how we will do things with Jadar, to make it safe, productive and environmentally sustainable – Diebold points out.

Sandra Petrovic

Rio Tinto plc London

Rio Sava Exploration d.o.o. Beograd

Tod Diebold

International Conference on Mineral Resources in Serbia

jadarite

Jadar

lithium ore

lithium

borate

electric vehicles

self driving electric vehicles

Future of Smart Mining