Codelco and Normet Partner for Autonomous Mining
The two companies are launching a five-year program to develop autonomous and remotely operated underground mining technology.
Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Robotics
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Codelco and Normet have entered a five-year technology development program designed to advance autonomous underground mining solutions. The initiative aims to remove personnel from dangerous environments while enhancing operational performance in deep mining conditions.
Why it matters
By integrating artificial intelligence and remote operations, the program seeks to improve process continuity and safety in high-risk underground mining. Moving workers out of these hazardous areas is a critical goal for modernizing deep mining operations.
The program focuses on three technical areas: autonomous concrete transport, autonomous stationary breaker operations, and remotely operated scaling. These systems utilize perception, environment mapping, and extended reality technologies.
The players
Codelco
Codelco is a Chilean state-owned copper mining company and one of the largest copper producers in the world.
Normet
Normet is a global company that provides technology and equipment for underground mining and tunneling construction.
The details
Development activities will be conducted at the Normet Technology Center in Pirkkala, Finland. The resulting autonomous technologies will then be piloted under real production conditions at the El Teniente mine in Chile.
Timeline
The collaboration was officially announced on October 16, 2026.
The technology development program is scheduled to run from 2026 through 2031.
The Tech Race
This partnership reflects a broader industrial shift toward replacing manual labor with autonomous and remotely operated underground mining technologies. It positions both companies to lead the transition away from high-risk legacy underground tasks.
This development impacts the mining industry by creating safer, more efficient workflows that minimize human exposure to hazardous deep-underground conditions. These advancements will likely set new industry standards for operational safety and continuity.
The takeaway
The mining sector is increasingly prioritizing the removal of workers from hazardous environments through advanced robotics and AI. Companies adopting these technologies aim to balance high operational performance with significantly improved worker safety standards.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in the field of Robotics.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Industry Europe.
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