AI Dispatcher Deployed at Internatsionalny Underground Mine
Tsifra Group has deployed an AI-based dispatch system for underground mining operations at ALROSA’s mine in Yakutia, providing real-time visibility into equipment location, operational status, and performance.
The system tracks execution of shift plans and responds immediately to deviations. To enable this, a Wi-Fi-based data network has been deployed across underground workings, and 30 units of mobile mining equipment, including load-haul-dump machines, underground haul trucks, and drilling rigs, have been fitted with onboard systems. The solution is also integrated with ALROSA’s existing equipment and personnel monitoring systems.
For both ALROSA and Tsifra, the Internatsionalny underground mine forms part of a broader programme to scale dispatch systems across underground and open-pit assets. This programme includes projects at Udachny, Aykhal, and other sites.
All equipment has been selected to meet operating requirements, including dust and moisture protection standards, and has undergone certification testing.
Maximising Operational Potential
Importantly, for continuous miners the system was implemented using data from existing monitoring systems, eliminating the need to install additional onboard hardware. As a result, operating costs associated with system deployment have been reduced.
The enterprise’s existing IT infrastructure has been fully utilised to enable data exchange between systems. This approach has also been applied in automating drilling rigs used for local geological forecasting, where the level of digitalisation had previously been limited.
Implementation was carried out by Tsifra specialists under the supervision of ALROSA’s IT division. Previously, production data was largely recorded manually. The new system enables automated data collection, while direct access to equipment performance data provides a new level of operational control.
The system operates on a two-layer architecture. The lower layer, consisting of onboard equipment, collects operational data and enables operator interaction. The upper layer connects to server infrastructure, enabling data processing, monitoring, and dispatch control systems. The deployment has changed how dispatch operations are managed.
The data generated is reliable and transparent. These gains in operational efficiency are expected to be applied in future deployments. Equipment productivity has increased markedly, while automated data collection has reduced the number of manual tasks performed by personnel.
Russian Vendor Develops Mining Solutions
Tsifra Group develops specialised solutions for the mining sector, with part of its product portfolio included in the Russian software registry. This project demonstrates the integration of equipment, analytics, and remote control centres within a unified system.
Following a successful pilot at the Udachny mine in 2021, where downtime was reduced by 76 minutes per day and effective operating time for underground haul trucks increased by 15%, Tsifra’s underground dispatch system was extended to Aykhal. At that stage, real-time monitoring of ore extraction and haulage was introduced, with industry experts noting improved equipment efficiency. At Aykhal, equipment efficiency increased by 5% within the first month of industrial operation.
These cases confirmed that underground dispatch systems in diamond mining can operate at industrial scale. The solution has since been scaled to sites including Internatsionalny, Zarnitsa, and others, indicating a shift from standalone digital projects to a platform-based operating model for managing mining operations within a single large group.
Across the industry, dispatch systems are becoming a foundational layer for the next stage of digitalisation, including digital advisory tools, predictive analytics, end-to-end downtime tracking, integration with MES systems, performance-based workforce management, and, in the longer term, partial automation of operations. Globally, digital dispatch is increasingly linked not only to monitoring but also to autonomous control, situational awareness, and real-time optimisation.
Russia’s mining sector appears to be steadily transforming underground operations into a controlled digital environment. The trend points to increased productivity, reduced losses, improved transparency, and a transition from dispatching to semi-autonomous and, eventually, fully autonomous mining models.
