Vertical: Mining
Application: Increased automation, enhanced video, remote control devices
Ecosystem: EuroChem, MTS
Private Network: LTE
Russian telecommunications giant MTS has partnered with fertilizer producer EuroChem to build a dedicated private LTE network at EuroChem’s Kovdorsky GOK mine in northern Russia. The new high-speed wireless network aims to digitally transform operations at the open-pit apatite, baddeleyite, and iron ore mine.
Eight LTE base stations were deployed at the Kovdorsky GOK mine, providing connectivity across 72 square kilometers of land. This includes coverage within the challenging terrain of the Zhelezny quarry, where mining, transportation, and storage take place in harsh Arctic conditions.
The private LTE network has launched on a pilot basis and is already being used to connect more than 20 pieces of machinery to an automated dispatch system. This includes haul trucks, excavators, and drilling rigs that work round-the-clock to extract and transport rock ore.
According to MTS, the dedicated on-site network provides a more reliable, low-latency communications system compared to the previous setup. This utilized long-haul links via Murmansk and St. Petersburg, which introduced delays that impacted monitoring and safety.
The private LTE network rollout is just the first phase in a wider digital transformation strategy at EuroChem’s Kovdorsky GOK mine. The industrial-grade wireless connectivity provides a platform for MTS and EuroChem to introduce various technologies that will optimize processes and boost productivity.
This includes industrial Internet of Things sensors, automated and autonomous equipment, video analytics, positioning systems, and more. The flexible network architecture also allows for additional LTE base stations to be added quickly to expand coverage across the mine.
EuroChem plans to replicate the private LTE approach at its other production sites in Russia.
