http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business
DRIVERLESS mining trucks that are becoming more common in iron ore mines in Western Australia’s Pilbara region are expected to appear in NSW and Queensland in the next 12 months under plans being hatched by BHP Billiton.
The autonomous trucks, which cut costs by reducing the need to house, feed and employ four drivers, would be trialled at BHP coalmines, BHP coal president Dean Dalla Valle said.
BHP has followed the lead of rival Rio Tinto in introducing the robot trucks into the big iron ore mines in the Pilbara, but after coalmine trials in New Mexico, it is taking the lead in bringing them to the east coast, something Rio has not yet proposed to do.
“We’re looking at two opportunities in coal to do the same thing, in Queensland and NSW,” Mr Dalla Valle told The Australian. “There’s no doubt it will happen, and I’d like to think that within 12 months we will be running trials.”
BHP last month indicated its late-mover status in automated equipment was not a reluctance to employ the technology. It said it was extending a robot truck trial at its Jimblebar iron ore mine to the nearby Wheelara mine.
Rio had planned to have 40 autonomous trucks running in the Pilbara this year, about twice the number BHP will have after the Wheelara trial starts.
Mr Dalla Valle said there was little difference between hauling coal and iron ore.
“It’s slightly different but once the system’s up and running, it should work effectively in both,” he said.
“They are effectively the same model of trucks, just carrying a different product.”
BHP’s coalmines are where it most needs to save money because of depressed thermal and coking coal prices.
Luckily, the coal unit has been leading the company-wide productivity drive, reducing costs and bringing on new projects under budget.
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