Codelco and Normet Develop Autonomous Mining Technologies
The five-year collaboration aims to automate underground concrete transport and rock scaling at the El Teniente mine.
Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Robotics
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Codelco and Normet have launched a five-year development program to engineer autonomous and remotely operated mining technologies. This initiative is currently in the research and development phase at Normet's facility in Finland, with subsequent production-scale testing planned for the El Teniente mine in Chile.
Why it matters
The program aims to transition underground mining toward fully automated workflows to remove personnel from high-risk environments while maintaining continuous operational performance. By automating specific hazardous tasks, the partnership seeks to stabilize deep mining production cycles that are typically constrained by safety requirements.
The initiative targets three technical domains: autonomous concrete transport and spraying, remotely operated scaling, and autonomous stationary breaker operations. Development centers on perception systems, onboard artificial intelligence, and extended reality interfaces.
The players
Codelco
A state-owned copper mining corporation based in Chile that operates one of the world's largest underground mining sites.
Normet
A global technology company specializing in equipment, construction chemicals, and digital services for underground mining and tunneling.
The details
The program leverages onboard artificial intelligence and environment mapping to allow machines to navigate and execute tasks without direct human input. Remotely operated scaling utilizes extended reality, an umbrella term for immersive technologies like virtual and augmented reality, to allow operators to control equipment from safe distances. The system architecture relies on data-driven decision-making solutions to manage concrete transport and stationary breaker operations in deep-crust conditions.
Timeline
- 2026-10-16
Collaboration agreement announced.
2026-2031: Program duration for technology development and field pilots.
The Tech Race
This program positions Codelco and Normet within a competitive push to automate deep-level resource extraction. It marks a shift toward digitizing traditional labor-intensive tasks at the El Teniente underground mining site operations.
The technologies resulting from this five-year program are slated for pilot testing at the El Teniente mine. Implementation will eventually affect underground mining workflows by shifting operators from physical equipment cabins to remote control stations.
The takeaway
The success of this automation push depends on the reliability of onboard AI in complex underground mapping scenarios. Readers should watch for future pilot performance reports emerging from the El Teniente site as the development program progresses toward its 2031 conclusion.
Further reading
For broader trends in industrial automation, see our coverage on Robotics.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Industry Europe.
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