Australian mining giant Rio Tinto has announced a key strategic partnership in Canada, teaming up with world leading researchers to create the Rio Tinto Centre for Underground Mine Construction.
The new centre will be based at the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) in Sudbury, Ontario, and will focus on innovative rapid mine construction and ground control for mining at depth. The work with CEMI will assist Rio Tinto's development of new excavation systems through The Mine of the FutureTM program, focusing on significantly improving the construction and operation of underground mines.
Rio Tinto is investing C$10 million (about US$9.8 million) over five years in the centre, completing a suite of five global long-term Rio Tinto research centers around the world.