The smart mine underground: Where efficiency meets sustainability

In recent years, underground mining has seen a rapid acceleration in automation, digitalization, and the use of robotics, which is transforming both operational efficiency and safe-ty. Remote-controlled and autonomous equipment — such as loaders, drilling rigs, and haul trucks — are being integrated with real-time sensor networks, enabling mines to reduce the presence of humans in hazardous underground zones.

Sophisticated data analytics, machine learning (ML), and internet of things (IoT) platforms facilitate predictive maintenance, process optimization, and continuous monitoring of geotechnical conditions, thus anticipating failures and reducing downtime in underground operations. Moreover, modular equipment design, precision manufacturing, and stronger materials are helping suppliers produce machinery that is more durable, easier to service, and adaptable to deeper, more extreme underground environments.

Moreover, the intensifying focus on sustainability, ESG performance, and energy transition in underground mining because of the stricter environmental regulations is urging mining companies to seek ways to reduce carbon footprints, manage water and ventilation more intelligently, and optimize energy use underground.

Electrification of mining fleets and the use of renewable energy sources are gaining ground, allowing for cleaner operations and reduced ventilation costs owing to lower heat and emissions in underground workings. Simultaneously, deeper mining and the exploitation of more remote or geologically complex ore bodies are pushing the industry toward advanced mining methods such as fluidized mining, multi-robot systems, and novel approaches to backfilling and support to maintain safety and stability at depth. Several articles in this is-sue reflect on all the above-mentioned trends in underground mining.

In our next combined edition (December 2025-January 2026), we will take a look at what is happening around the world as mining grows more interconnected in our shared quest for net-zero, and we will have a feature report on mining in B.C. and Yukon. Editorial contributions can be sent to the Editor in Chief no later than November 15.