While it continues to deliberate over whether to divest from the diamond industry, mining giant Rio Tinto is adopting some of the most advanced technology in the world at one of its premier diamond mines, Mining.com reported cited by Israelidiamond.co.il. Rio announced that it intends to install what is being called the world's largest underground automated mining system at its western Australian Argyle diamond mine.
The Sandvik AutoMine system, which has 11 electric loaders and 2 diesel loaders underground but is controlled from a room on the mine's surface, is supposed to improve both efficiency levels and safety levels. Rio already utilizes a Sandvik AutoMine system at gold and copper mining operations, also in Australia. However, this is the first time it will be put to work to extract diamonds from the ground, and it will be larger than any other AutoMine currently in existence, according to Mining.com.
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