The mining industry has been reinventing itself for centuries. From the early prospectors to today’s digitally-connected operations, the story of mining is a story reinvention, driven by new ideas for how we find deposits, dig rock, process ore, ensure safety, and protect the environment. These ideas have made our modern mining operations more productive, more sustainable, and safer than ever before.
That reinvention is still happening today across every aspect of our business, and at an increasing pace. New advancements in automation and digitalization are increasingly being introduced across mining operations. At the same time, factors such as declining ore grades, increasing energy requirements, and rising community and regulatory expectations create commercial pressure for new technological solutions.
That’s why Teck is putting new ideas to work across every aspect of our business – from exploration and project development through to active mining, reclamation and closure. Our focus is on identifying and implementing breakthrough innovations that have the greatest potential to improve our productivity, strengthen safety and environmental performance, and help grow our business.
Ideas like:
- Shovel-mounted sensors that can tell valuable ore apart from waste rock, greatly improving mill efficiency and reducing waste and energy use;
- Artificial intelligence that monitors data feeds from trucks to predict maintenance problems before they happen
- Drones to monitor blasts and improve safety; and
- Virtual reality to visualize remote sites and see geological information hidden underground.
These technologies are just a sample of what we’re working on. Teck is investing in research, development, and implementation of a host of new technologies, techniques and ideas. We are also strengthening our culture of innovation, both by building upon our company’s long history of ingenuity and invention as well as by forming partnerships with leading-edge companies from within our sector and beyond.
Our continuing focus on technology and innovation will help to ensure a strong future for Teck, our shareholders, our employees and the communities where we operate.
