Russia Is to Fully Automate Gold Mining
Artificial intelligence is expected to take control of every stage of gold extraction and processing.
Gold processing plants are set to become fully autonomous, with artificial intelligence overseeing mining and precious-metal recovery, according to Alexey Vostokov, chief executive of Polus. He outlined the vision during a speech at the Future Minerals Forum in Saudi Arabia.
He added that the industry is moving toward a near zero-waste production model. The system continuously adjusts each process to maximize gold recovery while simultaneously reducing water and energy consumption.
Change Is Already Under Way
Earlier, the company launched a production management center that oversees all mining processes and cuts equipment downtime.
Polus is also actively using artificial intelligence in the development of the Sukhoi Log deposit in northern Irkutsk region. At the Verninskaya gold processing plant, drivers of mining trucks are supported by a domestically developed intelligent system, MONTRANS DVR. A digital twin of the facility helps improve the accuracy of production forecasts and optimize the use of reagents and energy resources.
