151 MECHANIZED TUNNELLING FOR LOW-EMISSION AND HIGH-SAFETY MINING OPERATIONS *P. Rennkamp1, M. Stöhr2, J. P. Häntsche3 1Divison Manager Mining, Herrenknecht AG, Germany (*Presenting author: rennkamp.patrick@herrenknecht.de) 2 Head of Sales Mining, Herrenknecht AG, Germany 3Mining Manager Peru Herrenknecht Mining, Peru ABSTRACT Underground mine development faces increasing pressure to improve safety performance, reduce energy intensity, and accelerate time-to-ore. Conventional drill-and-blast excavation, while widely established, is characterized by cyclic operations, face re-entry exposure, irregular tunnel geometries, and high ventilation demand driven by diesel emissions and blast clearance. These structural characteristics introduce schedule variability and elevate both operational risk and energy consumption. This paper argues that mechanized tunnelling with Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) represents not merely an alternative excavation method, but a system-level shift in underground development. Continuous, electrically powered excavation stabilizes advance rates, minimizes personnel exposure at the face, and produces uniform tunnel profiles that reduce ground support variability and ventilation energy requirements. Drawing on mining-specific engineering adaptations and transferable experience from hundreds of civil projects executed under comparable geological and geometrical constraints, the paper examines TBM implementation through the lenses of safety performance, energy efficiency, and development risk. It shows how mechanized excavation can enhance schedule stability, improve time-to-ore predictability and support lower-emission underground operations aligned with evolving regulatory and ESG expectations. Mechanized tunnelling thus provides a structured pathway toward safer, more predictable, and energy-efficient underground mine development. KEYWORDS Underground Mining, Mechanized Tunnelling, Tunnel Boring Machine, TBM, Work Safety, Time-to-Ore
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0Mzk2