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As underground mines continue to push deeper, ground stresses rise and so do the safety challenges that come with them. Operators are increasingly looking for monitoring solutions that are not only accurate and dependable, but also simple to deploy and safe to operate in demanding environments.

In the buzzing outskirts of Seoul, in the city of Anyang, a transformative infrastructure project is quietly carving its way through bedrock. This is no ordinary excavation effort. It's a bold engineering project led by South Korean construction giant SK Ecoplant, powered by Sandvik's advanced MT720 roadheader and technology. Together, they are changing the way tunneling is done in Korea.

El Teniente, located in the Chilean Andes, is one of the largest underground copper mines on the planet. It is also one of the most complex, with many geotechnical challenges. By using automated solutions, the mine has significantly improved safety and productivity. Now, together with Sandvik, state-owned company Codelco is creating the mine of the future. In the next few years, the goal is for El Teniente to only have automated trucks and loaders.

Gilbert Lamarche, Chief Operating Officer, Foran Mining Corporation, sat down with Solid Ground to discuss Foran’s flagship McIlvenna Bay project, the company’s vision for sustainable, responsible mining and the benefits of going all in on BEVs.