Each year, “Mining Magazine” recognizes excellence in the mining industry with its annual awards list. To be considered for an award, “Mining Magazine” asks its readers to nominate people, companies, groups or projects that they feel have demonstrated outstanding commitment to advancing the state of mining over the past 12 months. This year’s winners were recently announced.

Load and Haul Award winner

Given to “innovative miners, vendors and products that have pushed the boundaries of what is possible over the past year at surface and underground operations,” Komatsu’s teleoperation system was given the “Load and Haul Award.”

To help customers advance their safety and productivity goals, Komatsu developed the semiautonomous PC7000-11, a 700-ton-class hydraulic excavator. Paired with Komatsu’s Autonomous Haulage System, the PC7000-11 features semi-automated teleoperation capabilities to reduce cycle times and combat operator fatigue. Operator-assist with augmented reality (AR) technology supports productivity improvement, displaying information and data to provide real-time feedback to production plan.

Leveraging the machine’s onboard sensors and Modular Mining’s technologies, each loading shift is accumulated in the data and translated into insights on ways to potentially improve productivity, safety and reduce running costs. The goal is to help miners achieve a zero-harm environment, and help address labor shortage issues in regions where mining is conducted in remote locations.

ESG Reduction & Monitoring Technology Award

Recognizing “new technologies that have succeeded in either lowering or monitoring carbon emissions,” the “ESG Reduction & Monitoring Technology Award” was given to Komatsu and its customers that formed the Komatsu Greenhouse Gas Alliance. Formed last year, along with Komatsu, the founding members of the alliance include Rio Tinto, BHP, Codelco and Boliden.

Through this alliance framework, Komatsu and its GHG partners work directly to collaborate on product planning, development, testing and deployment of next generation zero-emission mining equipment and infrastructure. The formation of the alliance brings together mining leaders willing to share time, resources and information to deliver zero-emissions equipment solutions.

The initial target for the alliance is to advance Komatsu’s power agnostic truck concept for a haulage vehicle that can run on a variety of power sources including diesel electric, electric, trolley (wired), battery power and even hydrogen fuel cells. Underscoring Komatsu’s commitment to environmentally conscious business practices, the intention is to expand the alliance to additional mining companies to enhance industry-wide collaboration on solutions for decarbonization.

As a company, Komatsu is committed to minimizing environmental impact through its business, targeting a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions from use of its products and production of its equipment by 2030 (compared to 2010 levels) and a challenge target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.