RPMG said the miner has brought in its HAULSIM simulation tool to examine several haulage scenarios that would link the mine to its port facilities at Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec, some 240km away.

The HAULSIM four-dimensional discrete event simulation (DES) builds a digital twin of any operation to evaluate different scenarios like fleet options, haulage routes and stockpile and dump placement. Arianne used it to gather insight on optimal operating environments for its potential haulage routes.

"The solution delivers an accurate representation of haulage operations within a mine site and provides capability to quantify the impact of changes; [it also] reflects the complex and dynamic nature of a mine site in its entirety - including the variability, interactions and dependencies that occur in these systems," RPMG officials said.

"By modelling, analysing and enhancing different `what if` scenarios for the ideal haulage network, Arianne Phosphate now has confidence in its recommendation to invest capital in its mine-to-port haulage route with a clear view of predicted outcomes."

Once online, the Lac à Paul mine is expected to produce 3 million tonnes of phosphate concentrate per year. The complex, which will be one of the world`s largest phosphate rock projects, will include an open pit mine, a concentration plant and deepwater port facilities.