Cemex and Berlin-based startup sensmore are digitising operations at the 770-year-old Rüdersdorf limestone quarry in Germany using AI-based loading and haulage optimisation. On-board edge devices and radar sensors on wheel loaders and haul trucks feed real-time data into sensmore’s optimisation engine, which recommends bucket fill levels, truck–loader pairing and haul speeds. Early results show reduced idle times and more consistent crusher feed, signalling practical pathways to retrofit AI-driven dispatch and loading control into existing European quarry fleets without full autonomy.

Antofagasta plans to lift copper output by 30% by 2030, Executive Chairman and CEO Iván Arriagada told delegates at the World Mining Congress 2026, positioning the Chilean producer to meet surging critical minerals demand from the energy transition. The growth will come from brownfield expansions across its existing operations rather than new greenfield projects, implying higher stripping ratios, additional concentrator capacity and incremental tailings and water management upgrades. For engineers, the strategy signals sustained demand for large-scale pit optimisation, process debottlenecking and infrastructure life-extension work in northern Chile.

FUCHS Lubricants is promoting SOLCENIC GM 20, an MSHA-approved HFAE fire-resistant hydraulic fluid formulated for longwall coal mining roof-support systems. The water-in-oil emulsion is designed for hydraulic roof supports that stabilise the longwall face, targeting consistent performance under high-pressure, high-cycle loading where ignition risk from conventional mineral oils is critical. For mine operators and OEMs, the key implications are compatibility with existing HFAE systems, reduced fire load in gate roads and maingate stations, and support for stricter underground safety regimes.