Newmont is set be the first company to automate a fleet of haul trucks at an open pit gold mine after committing to a $US150 million ($227 million) project at the Boddington operation in Western Australia
Operations of the autonomous Cat 793F mining trucks will begin alongside the MineStar Command for hauling system in 2021.
Caterpillar’s Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) has exhibited reliability and durability in its trucks using the MineStar Command system.
The system has helped transport over 1.9 billion tonnes since 2013.
“We are pleased to work with Newmont in implementing autonomous haulage at Boddington,” Caterpillar group president resource industries Denise Johnson said.
“Command for hauling has shown its ability to enhance safety, optimise production and lower costs at sites around the world.
“The Caterpillar team is eager to demonstrate these positive results in gold mining.”
Regional Caterpillar dealer WesTrac will assist in leveraging an autonomous technology training facility in Collie, Western Australia.
Meanwhile, Newmont will be providing opportunities for its Boddington employees to reskill before the autonomous trucks are commissioned.
Newmont produced 709,000 ounces of gold at Boddington in 2018.