Embrace mining technology innovation, urges Ryan Stokes

The breakthroughs in mining technology achieved in Western Australia should not be forgotten, Ryan Stokes says.

The world-class breakthroughs in mining technology achieved in Western Australia and their potential broader applications around the world should not be forgotten in the wake of the mining boom, Ryan Stokes says.

The Seven Group Holdings managing director told The Australian and Deutsche Bank Business Leaders Forum in Perth yesterday that the technological innovations coming out of the West Australian mining industry were an opportunity that should be embraced.

Mr Stokes pointed to the progress made by the likes of Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Fortescue Metals Group in installing automated trucks and drill rigs across some of their Pilbara iron ore operations as an example of the cutting-edge technology used in the mining industry, comparing the huge automated trucks to the self-driving vehicles being developed by the likes of Google.

“You see the Google car rolling around with great hype but the reality is you’ve got those trucks already rolling around in the Pilbara today. It isn’t a trial, they are actually in production, and they’re driving productivity gains through that,” Mr Stokes said.

“That investment has been huge and I think we as a state can really take advantage and harness that innovation collectively and use that to continue to drive success in that sector.

“It’s something we should be celebrating.”

Rio Tinto has been the most aggressive user of autonomous technology to date, with the company having so far deployed 71 autonomous trucks across three of its Pilbara iron ore mines.

The company’s West Angelas project is also the only mine site in the world where all drilling is carried out by autonomous drill rigs.

Mr Stokes, whose Seven Group owns the WesTrac mining equipment business, said the growing use of autonomous mining fleets was just one example of how Australian miners were using innovation to improve their cost positions.

“It’s not a pure headcount reduction that has helped our major iron ore producers get their costs to where they are,” Mr Stokes said.

“It’s investment in technology, and that involves risk.”