Chinalco Peru inaugurates GIO in Lima for Toromocho and continues to advance drill automation
On December 16, Chinalco Peru, operator of the Toromocho copper mine, inaugurated its 1,000 m2 Integrated Operations Management Centre or Centro de Gestión Integrada de Operaciones (GIO) in Spanish. It said: “Chinalco Peru becomes the first company in Peru to operate with a centre that integrates operational management from Lima, connecting knowledge, technology and field experience. This milestone is possible thanks to a team of workers who have been trained and prepared to take on this new challenge, who today make the leap from mine operation to remote integrated management, bringing with them their experience, their knowledge of the process and their commitment to safety and operational excellence.”
It added: “The evolution towards GIO reflects our conviction that transformation is built by enhancing internal talent, generating new development opportunities and strengthening a more modern, integrated and sustainable mining. We continue to innovate, transform and lead the way towards world-class mining, always putting people at the centre.”
Tied in with this development have been some other relevant announcements from technology partners. On December 31, Huawei Enterprise Latinoamérica reported that Chinalco Peru had achieved “a technological milestone in the mining industry with the implementation of an advanced fleet management and autonomous drilling system” at its Toromocho Mining Unit, located in Junin.
Huawei said that this project integrates real-time teleoperation and high-capacity connectivity, supported by Huawei’s 5G network, to optimise safety and efficiency in highly complex environments. Remote operation is centralised at Chinalco Peru’s Teleoperation Station Room, located in Lima, more than 150 km from the mine. From this centre, missions are monitored and designed in real time, ensuring operational continuity and reducing personnel exposure in complex areas. The low latency and bandwidth of 5G are critical factors for high-precision data transmission and the safe execution of autonomous manoeuvres.
“5G connectivity, integrated with cloud services and artificial intelligence algorithms, allows us to reduce response times and improve operational safety, significantly increasing productivity,” said Henry Puca, Director of Huawei’s Mining unit. For his part, Willy Coronado, Information Technology, Communications, and Automation (ITIC) Manager at Minera Chinalco Perú, stated: “This project consolidates our innovation and digital transformation strategy. The integration of disruptive technologies, along with the 5G infrastructure, positions us as leaders in smart mining.”
Huawei added that AI and cloud integration contributes to process optimisation and risk reduction. Key benefits include enhanced safety, increased productivity, and greater precision in drilling and blasting. “This advancement places Peru at the forefront of global technology, demonstrating how the convergence of autonomy, advanced connectivity, and remote control is redefining the standards of modern mining.”
In late November, Peruvian Caterpillar dealer Ferreyros gave some more insight into the drilling system that uses the Huawei network. It said a Cat autonomous drill was operating at Toromocho with Caterpillar’s MineStar Command for Drilling technology. It was also significant as it was the first deployment of Caterpillar autonomy for electric drills that has is remotely controlled from a remote operations centre, in this case the teleoperation station room of Chinalco Peru in Lima, to execute and supervise the autonomous drilling plan.
By adopting Caterpillar’s solution, the Cat MD6640 electric drill – performs inline drilling autonomously. This work, which includes displacement, levelling and drilling, is executed at the exact location and depth according to the objectives of the design and the operation plan, contributing to safety, precision and efficiency. While the autonomous drill operates at the Toromocho Mining Unit, a controller designs the missions or tasks and supervises the operation of the autonomous system from the station in Lima, as stated more than 150 km away. This gives the controller the possibility of covering several autonomous systems at the same time.
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