A multinational company expects to convert hundreds of heavy vehicles to autonomous technology before the end of the year.
Komatsu recently predicted it would finish automating more than 430 haul trucks before Christmas at multiple mine sites across Queensland and Western Australia.
Fleet conversion is rapidly progressing at BHP’s US$4.6 billion (A$6.6B) South Flank Project, 156km northwest of Newman. The work is expected to be complete across five autonomous operation zones in September 2023.
This is promised to deliver “far-reaching” safety, production, equipment utilisation and reliability. It is also touted to offer “new skills and opportunities” for existing mining and maintenance employees.
“All 41 of the 930Es on-site are now in the process of being upgraded to fully autonomous operation at the rate of four a month,” Komatsu mining automation general manager Garry Povah said in a public statement.
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