Tribe Technology PLC on Thursday said that it has continued to make good progress in the construction of a drill rig at its facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The developer and manufacturer of autonomous mining equipment, which is based in Belfast, told investors that it recently switched on the engine of the drill rig for the first time at its facility. It explained that this was an important step on the way towards factory completion.

Completion, therefore, is still expected in the first quarter of this year, with shipment to the customer expected in the second quarter.

‘We continue to make strong progress in relation to the company’s first generation autonomous TTDS 700 GC drill rig and ultimately, towards creating a safer, more efficient work environment through the use of fully autonomous and safe drill rigs. This is demonstrated by the continued testing and most recently, the successful engine ignition of our first autonomously operated drill rig,’ said Chief Technology Officer Derek Loughlin.

To date, reverse circulation drilling has been characterised by a lack of automation ‘due to the complexities of the systems required and the harsh conditions in which these machines operate’.

Tribe Technology shares were untraded at 6.07 pence each in London on Thursday afternoon.

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