Two mining tech giants have teamed up to overhaul the mining industry with plans to develop what they say is the first-ever driverless electric haul truck.
Traditional mining haul trucks powered by diesel fuel are the largest source of carbon dioxide pollution associated with mining vehicles, producing a whopping 192 million tons of harmful carbon pollution annually, according to IDTechEx.
However, mining tech companies Liebherr and Fortescue are on a mission to convert these massive diesel-gobbling machines into climate-friendly electric versions that can still get the job done, as Electrek reported.
At the Fortescue Christmas Creek mine in Western Australia, efforts began last month to upgrade four Liebherr T 264 trucks to fully autonomous electric haul trucks at a specially designed facility onsite. Electrek noted that the companies are also testing Liebherr's electric excavators at this location.
Not only will the self-driving trucks make mining operations more efficient, but they will also benefit nearby communities and mine workers by reducing their exposure to harmful pollutants.
"Our collaborative efforts will be beneficial for not only Fortescue, but all customers who choose to implement Liebherr technology products on their sites," Oliver Weiss, Liebherr Mining executive vice president, research and development, engineering, and production, said in a news release.
According to Liebherr, the partnership started in 2022 when the companies envisioned building a zero-pollution haulage solution to make mining more sustainable, leaning on their experience with equipment manufacturing and battery electric technologies.
Now, they're taking that vision to the next level with the self-driving feature. Liebherr says that once the autonomous haulage solution is ready to be deployed, it can be integrated into other machines such as drills, water carts, and other heavy-duty trucks.
The companies are working to develop the system's complex features, including an "integrated Fleet Management System and a Machine Guidance Solution," which Liebherr says can function independently without human intervention.
Once the system has been finalized, the autonomous haulage solution will be launched at all Fortescue mine locations worldwide. Liebherr will also make the AHS technology available to its global mining customers as it expands its product offerings.
"This development will allow us to offer the global market a complete AHS," Weiss said. "These innovative technologies form part of our expanding range of technology products and are another step forward in our strategy to become a total solution provider for the mining industry."
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