Raglan Mine operations in Nunavik, Quebec, recently celebrated a major milestone with the first autonomous truck at its Anuri underground mine successfully discharging its ore load at surface.
The operations, part of the Glencore group, include three high-grade underground nickel mines: Qakimajurq, Kikialik and Anuri. Anuri was inaugurated in 2024.
After an autonomous ramp climb, the unloading of the aforementioned truck was executed from the remote operations centre, located 14 km from the mine.
A spokesperson for Raglan Mine told IM that the achievement leveraged Sandvik’s AutoMine® platform, explaining: “Raglan Mine has been running Sandvik’s Multi-Lite system for the last two years, which was proceeded by a Lite installation. Of our larger fleet, five LH517i LHDs and now two Toro TH663i haul trucks are equipped with AutoMine kits.
“In addition, our operation has successfully adopted Sandvik’s advanced technologies in other parts of the mining cycle: two teleoperated DL421i longhole drills (which are of their own platform separate to AutoMine) as well as four DD422i intelligent, automatic jumbo drills.”
The spokesperson added: “Finally, it’s worth mentioning that Raglan Mine’s approach has been successful for two main, simple reasons:
- “Gradual adoption: This allowed time for institutional knowledge to build, processes to adapt and problems to get worked out; and
- “Site management fully embraced and prioritised adoption very early.”
Anuri is one of the largest mining investments in Quebec, Canada, in the last decade. It is anticipated that it will lengthen Raglan Mine’s life of operations for at least 20 years.
More than 60 Raglan Mine employees helped find a name for the new mine. The final choice, Anuri, was selected by the members of the Raglan Committee and means ‘wind’ in Inuktitut. It reflects the change, vigour and evolution that this new phase represents for Raglan Mine and its Inuit partners, Raglan Mine said.
The second phase of the Sivumut project (Anuri Mine and Qakimarjurq extension) is the outcome of a collaborative and continuous improvement approach, enriched by the participatory process undertaken with Inuit communities as part of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, in compliance with Quebec’s Environment Quality Act and Section 23 of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. As a result of these consultations, the Raglan Agreement with the Inuit of Salluit, Kangiqsujuaq and all of Nunavik was improved, particularly regarding land use, employment, training and the participation of Inuit businesses.
Signed in 1995 and enhanced in 2017, the Raglan Agreement continues to guide the day-to-day operations, ensuring that commitments made to the Inuit communities of Salluit and Kangiqsujuaq, as well as to Makivvik Corporation, are respected.
One of Raglan Mine’s Inuit employees, Julia Genest, graduated last February from the company’s Tamatumani program. On the picture below, she is operating a 63-tonne TH663i haul truck while also controlling a scoop from the very same teleoperation seat. The spokesperson added: “Falling on the second anniversary of the Anuri mine’s opening, this success stands as a testament to our ability to push boundaries as a team, while fostering the growth of Inuit talent and the integration of cutting-edge technology.”
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