Global miner BHP and Chinese conveyor service provider Wuxi BOTON Technology have agreed to broaden an existing partnership beyond product supply to include joint technology development, support for lower carbon operations, and enhanced global service capabilities.
“This agreement taps the strength of our long-standing partnership with BOTON and our shared focus on innovation, safety and sustainability,” said BHP Chief Commercial Officer Rag Udd.
“By working more closely together, we are advancing the next generation of mining conveyor solutions to improve productivity, support our decarbonization ambitions, and deliver long-term value across our global operations.”
BHP and BOTON plan to co-develop technologies to support increasingly automated conveyor operations. Building on work at BHP’s Escondida copper mine in Chile, this includes exploring the deployment of advanced intelligent equipment at scale, such as longitudinal rip detection, X-ray digital scanning, AI-based automatic belt alignment, and robotic inspection systems.
The companies will also consider a joint launch of a supply chain partner program to develop a full-lifecycle carbon footprint tracking system for the mining sector, covering raw materials, manufacturing, operation, and end-of-life recycling. This includes new approaches to better track and manage carbon emissions, and advancing recycling solutions for used conveyor belts to improve circularity and reduce environmental impact.
Lastly, BOTON will strengthen its local service presence in BHP’s key mining regions by leveraging its international network, including facilities in Australia and Thailand. It plans to establish frontline service stations to improve response times.
Source: BHP