Through its local dealer WesTrac, Cat will provide a fleet of 20 autonomous trucks and four autonomous blasthole drills. Cat’s machinery will be integrated with Rio Tinto’s Mine Automation System (MAS), which collects and enhances data to improve productivity across Rio Tinto’s entire iron ore network.

With a turn-key contract for the design, supply, installation and commissioning, FLSmidth will supply key minerals handling equipment for Koodaideri. Rio Tinto will for the first time apply smart technology to interconnect all components in the mining value chain. FLSmidth will design the equipment to the latest Australian standards and incorporate smart 3D design and a variety of advanced engineering solutions, such as BulkExpert.

“Koodaideri will set new benchmarks in digitalization and will feature the most technologically advanced solutions employed to date in the iron ore sector,” said Manfred Schaffer, president, FLSmidth Mining. Construction at Koodaideri will begin this year with the first ore expected to be fully functional by late 2021 with a production capacity of 43 million metric tons of iron ore per year.