Australia’s biggest gold miner, Newcrest Mining will turn to emerging digital twin technology to improve the performance of its flagship Cadia mine in NSW, with its most senior technology executive saying it could unlock hundreds of millions of dollars of untapped value a year.

The plan involves constructing an exact digital replica of the mine, which will then change based on real-time data from sensors and let Newcrest plan changes and maintenance. It is made possible by a broader shift onto new cloud computing platforms.