A multinational resources company fast-tracked its autonomous roll-out following a drop in workplace incidents.
BHP recently accelerated automating nearly its entire heavy vehicle fleet because accidents occur three times more frequently at mine sites without driverless technology.
“We know from the safety performance at Jimblebar, autonomous trucks have resulted in 75 per cent fewer collision incidents than at our non-autonomous mines,” Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) asset president Brandon Craig told an investor and analyst briefing.
“We are accelerating autonomy deployment across our operations [and], in line with our fleet replacement strategy, ore haulage will be approximately 85 per cent autonomous within the next four years with Yandi the only exception as the site nears end-of-life.”
Craig claims converting up to 1000 units of equipment (including 220 haul trucks) will deliver “significant” safety, production and cost improvements. BHP has already automated 10 trucks at the South Flank Project and finished fully automating its Newman East mine.
“We are also making good progress on automation with about 190 trucks expected to be autonomous in the medium term. Our autonomous fleet is achieving availability of 89 per cent and haulage costs 20 per cent below the WAIO average,” he said.
“Studies are in progress to deploy automated trucks at Mining Area C and Newman West as we move towards having approximately 85 per cent of the fleet automated by the end of fiscal 2027, capitalising on the significant benefits of improved safety and productivity outcomes.”
Contractors Caterpillar and Komatsu are expected to commission the first electric haul truck sometime in 2027, and replace all diesel-powered drivetrains by the mid-2030s.
“We have over 800 pieces of mining equipment, using approximately 500 million litres of diesel a year. This accounts for around 55 per cent of WAIO’s greenhouse gas emissions,” Craig said.
“Replacing diesel as a fuel source requires us to develop a whole new operational ecosystem to surround the fleet. We need to address the way we plan our mines, operate our haulage networks and consider the additional safety – and operational – considerations that these changes will bring.”
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