Scania, Fortescue to develop autonomous mining road train vehicle

Road train photographed in Western Australia Road train photographed in Western Australia (Photo: Reuters)

Following on from the announcement that Fortescue and Liebherr have signed a $2.8 billion deal for development of an electrified mining vehicle fleet, the mining company has now entered into an agreement with Scania to develop and validate an autonomous road train vehicle.

“By utilising Scania’s extensive knowledge in supplying trucks to the mining industry and our expertise in autonomous driving, the Road Train solution will reduce the overall mining footprint,” said Manfred Streit, MD at Scania Australia.

The autonomous solution will be developed, tested and validated at Fortescue’s iron ore operations in Christmas Creek, Queensland.

The road train vehicle will feature truck automation tech from Scania and Fortescue’s Fleet Management System, designed to optimise fleet utilisation, maximise productivity and reduce fuel consumption. Other featured tech will include Scania’s hardware from the R770 prime mover platform.

Road trains, made up of a tractor unit and multiple trailers, are widely used in Australia. The version to be produced by the partners will feature three trailers (120 tonnes) which will have a payload capacity of 240 tonnes.

Fortescue Metals CEO, Dino Otranto said: “Our deep expertise in autonomous haulage has enabled us to jointly develop a unique autonomous solution that unlocks high grade, satellite deposits for us to mine economically. This project will help us maximise productivity with unique low-cost solutions in our mining value chain.”

POWER SOURCING GUIDE

The trusted reference and buyer’s guide for 83 years

The original “desktop search engine,” guiding nearly 10,000 users in more than 90 countries it is the primary reference for specifications and details on all the components that go into engine systems.

Visit Now

STAY CONNECTED



Receive the information you need when you need it through our world-leading magazines, newsletters and daily briefings.

Sign up

CONNECT WITH THE TEAM
Becky Schultz Vice President of Content Tel: +1 480 408 9774 E-mail: [email protected]
Julian Buckley Editor Tel: +44 (0) 1892 784088 E-mail: [email protected]
Chad Elmore Managing Editor E-mail: [email protected]
Tony Radke Vice President of Sales Tel: +1 480 478 6302 E-mail: [email protected]
Roberta Prandi Power Progress International Brand Manager Tel: +39 334 6538183 E-mail: [email protected]