EACON on why high-altitude mines are going autonomous

Some of the world’s most important copper deposits sit thousands of metres above sea level. At these elevations, mining operations face a combination of physiological, mechanical and environmental challenges that can affect everything from workforce management to equipment performance and haulage efficiency.

AHS leader EACON cites The National Library of Medicine as classifying high altitude as 1,500 to 3,500 metres above sea level, very high altitude as 3,500 to 5,500 metres, and extreme altitude as above 5,500 metres. Similarly, Chile’s occupational-health regulations classify 3,000 to 5,500 metres as high altitude and set specific requirements for workers exposed to these conditions.

EACON points out that some modern mines operate well within these ranges. Quellaveco in Peru is located at approximately 3,500 metres, Collahuasi in Chile operates at around 4,400 metres, while EACON’s own deployments at the Julong and Zhibula copper mines in China extend into elevations above 5,400 metres. The company asks: as new mining projects increasingly develop in these environments, operators face a key question: what changes when the mine operates at very high altitude?

At high altitude, reduced oxygen availability can affect exercise capacity and physiological function, creating additional demands on the people working in mining operations. EACON: “High-altitude illness becomes increasingly relevant above 2,500 metres. Research involving workers in Andes mines operating between 3,800 and 4,500 metres found that 73% of workers assessed experienced periods of nocturnal oxygen saturation below 85% during their high-altitude shifts, indicating moderate-to-severe hypoxemia.”

These physiological effects create challenges beyond individual worker health. Mining operators must consider how altitude affects workforce availability, shift arrangements, acclimatisation requirements and the ability to attract and retain personnel willing to work in remote, high-altitude locations. The need to manage worker exposure can also place additional constraints on operational planning, particularly where haulage requires personnel to spend extended periods inside equipment at elevation.

This makes the availability and deployment of personnel to operate haul trucks an important operational consideration for high-altitude mines. EACON states: “Autonomous haulage offers one way to address this challenge. Rather than requiring a driver for each truck, autonomous systems allow fleets to be managed through centralised supervision, with personnel overseeing operations and intervening when required. This reduces the need for people to spend entire shifts operating equipment at elevation, while changing how workforce resources are allocated across the mine.”

Furthermore, depending on the system configuration, some operations can manage autonomous fleets from remote Integrated Operations Centres located away from the mine site. This can allow personnel to supervise haulage activities from lower-altitude locations, further reducing the need for workers to remain in extreme-altitude environments.

Importantly, autonomy does not eliminate the need for skilled personnel. Instead, it changes the number, responsibilities and working arrangements of people required to manage haulage operations.

Conventional mining operations depend on people being available to operate equipment across shifts. At high altitude, physiological demands, acclimatisation requirements and workforce management constraints can make it more challenging to maintain consistent haulage operations.

EACON: “Autonomous haulage changes this operating model. Autonomous trucks can operate across extended periods without requiring a driver to remain inside the cab. This creates opportunities to increase effective operating hours, maintain more consistent haulage cycles and reduce the reliance on personnel physically operating equipment at elevation.”

In terms of safety, reducing the number of personnel required inside the pit and around operating haulage equipment can help minimise human exposure to some of the risks associated with mining environments. By changing how trucks are operated and supervised, autonomous systems can also reduce the need for personnel to approach or board equipment during normal haulage operations, supported by appropriate site procedures and safety controls.

Although autonomous haulage does not eliminate the operational challenges of high-altitude mining, it allows operators to approach production differently. Rather than being as dependent on the availability and working hours of individual drivers, mines can manage haulage through autonomous fleet operations, with personnel supervising the system and responding when intervention is required.

This can be particularly valuable in high-altitude environments, where maintaining workforce availability, safe operating conditions, and consistent production is an ongoing operational consideration. “These examples demonstrate how mining operators are adapting haulage systems and equipment to the demands of high-altitude environments, with approaches ranging from autonomous haulage to electrification.”

At Los Bronces in Chile, located at approximately 3,500 metres, Komatsu operates its FrontRunner Autonomous Haulage System across 62 Komatsu 930E ultra-class haul trucks. At Quellaveco in Peru, Caterpillar’s Command for hauling autonomous haulage operates at approximately 3,500 metres, alongside autonomous drilling and a remote operations centre.

At Zijin Mining’s Julong Copper Mine, autonomous haulage operates in an environment spanning approximately 4,000 to 5,400 metres. At the adjacent Zhibula Copper Mine, EACON has extended the technology to 60 factory-fitted battery-electric autonomous trucks at elevations above 5,400 metres.

EACON is also beginning work at another Zijin Mining-controlled copper project, the Zhunuo Copper Mine in China, which reaches elevations of approximately 5,800 metres. As a greenfield development, the project is being prepared for a gradual autonomous haulage rollout, with supporting infrastructure and haulage areas under development.

Together, EACON says these examples demonstrate how automation is being introduced across mining operations at different stages of development and at increasingly challenging elevations.

EACON’s deployment at the Zhibula Copper Mine provides a practical example of what autonomous haulage can achieve under high-altitude conditions. At more than 5,400 metres above sea level, 60 battery-electric haul trucks progressed from initial onsite validation in September 2025 to site-wide autonomous operation by September 2026. By March 2026, 52 trucks were operating autonomously at 90% of the productivity of manual operations. By September, they had surpassed manual operations.

The deployment also changed the workforce requirements of haulage. Project data indicates an 80% reduction in driver requirements and a 16% increase in daily effective working hours. EACON: “This makes Zhibula significant for more than demonstrating that autonomous trucks can operate at extreme elevations. It shows how autonomy can reduce the amount of work that requires people to remain in the truck cab while maintaining and improving the haulage capacity of the operation.”

Combined with battery-electric haulage, the deployment demonstrates how high-altitude mines can use technology to address two constraints simultaneously: the need to limit personnel exposure to extreme elevations and the need to maintain productive, continuous haulage.

The case for autonomous haulage at high altitude EACON argues is ultimately about changing how mining operations are structured around their environment. “When people do not need to spend every haulage shift operating a truck at 4,000 or 5,000 metres, operators can reduce some of the workforce and exposure challenges associated with extreme elevations. Autonomous systems can also help mines maintain productive haulage operations for longer periods, improving equipment utilisation and reducing the reliance on conventional driver-based shift arrangements.”

It concludes: “High altitude does not automatically make autonomous haulage the right choice for every operation. However, it changes the potential value of automation by making workforce availability, personnel safety, and production efficiency increasingly important considerations. As mining continues to expand into higher elevations, autonomous haulage offers operators new ways to manage these constraints, reduce personnel exposure, and maintain productive operations.”