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Central Qld coal mine hails driverless vehicles as a success

Cat D11
Cat D11

A fossil fuel operation celebrated an autonomous victory in Queensland’s Isaac region.

More than 10 million banked cubic metres were successfully been moved at Jellinbah Group’s Lake Vermont coal mine in Dysart, 246km southwest of Mackay.

Thiess Australia supplied all six Cat D11 dozers with semi-autonomous tractor systems (SATS). Each come with Cat MineStar Command which helps load the blade, push, dump and control grade with “consistent accuracy” each time.

“Since introducing this technology at Lake Vermont in 2020 we have seen a 10 per cent reduction in unit cost and 25 per cent improvement in dozer utilisation,” Thiess group executive chair and CEO Michael Wright said in a public statement.

“A single operator can quickly and easily control multiple dozers from the comfort and safety of a remote operating station, significantly improving production output and reducing fatigue,” head of autonomy and operations technology Trent Smith added.

Original equipment manufacturer Caterpillar and dealer Hastings Deering applauded the milestone.

“This achievement highlights our strong relationship and commitment to delivering innovative solutions in the mining industry,” Hastings resource industries business manager Brad Scholz said.

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