THE LEADER VOLUME 21 • NUMBER 8
Vale’ s future of mining journey
Editorial Director Paul Moore BSc( Hons), MSc paul @ im-mining. com
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Vale recently put out a comprehensive Research, Development, & Innovation Report for 2025 that delved in some detail into how technology is shaping its mine of the future journey in terms of smarter and more sustainable operations.
The company stated:“ At Vale, we believe in mining that has less environmental impact, is even safer, and employs increasingly sustainable processes. This vision guides the development of operations that are smarter, more technologically advanced, and less invasive, moving toward zero waste rock, tailings, and carbon emissions. To achieve this, we foster an adaptive, purpose-driven workforce capable of uniting people and technology to transform the future of mining and create value for society.”
President Gustavo Pimenta added:“ We invest in solutions capable of increasing operational predictability, reducing risk exposure, improving mineral resource utilisation, and accelerating our decarbonisation journey. Beyond developing new technologies, we are focused on embedding innovation into the company’ s daily operations, connecting strategy, operations, and execution. Safety remains our core value, and innovation plays a decisive role in this context. Advancements in automation, artificial intelligence, real-time monitoring, and remote operations are enhancing our ability to anticipate deviations, strengthen controls, and support faster, more accurate decision-making.”
Looking at mining fleet automation – in 2018, the Brucutu mine in Minas Gerais marked the beginning of a transformation that would change the way Vale operates. That was where Vale’ s first autonomous trucks began operating. Vale:“ For the first time, machines ran without drivers in the cabs, guided by artificial intelligence, digital systems, GPS, LiDAR, and radar. People began taking control remotely, from safer environments.”
Vale adds:“ The technological infrastructure required for implementation involves installing autonomous kits – comprising sensors, cameras, radars, and navigation systems – on the equipment, alongside communication networks, control software, and sensors on other vehicles operating within the mines, enabling the system to identify them all. Remote operation centres are also part of this digital ecosystem, allowing for realtime monitoring and oversight of activities. The operational gains in productivity and predictability are significant: equipment such as trucks can increase their daily operating time from 15 to 20 hours. More precise operation also yields benefits: it extends the service life of components by up to 40 % and tyres by up to 25 %, thereby reducing replacements and waste.”
Vale also says the use of autonomous vehicles yields gains of up to 15 % in operational efficiency and a reduction of up to 7.5 % in fuel consumption, thereby contributing to the reduction of Vale’ s carbon emissions. Considering fuel savings for a single truck alone, the potential annual reduction in carbon emissions would be equivalent to more than 1,500 trees growing for 20 years – amounting to 240 tonnes of CO 2 per year.
Currently, more than 70 autonomous units are in operation in Brazil: 29 offhighway trucks, 18 drills, and 30 yard machines. They operate in Minas Gerais, Pará, Maranhão, and Rio de Janeiro, and Vale adds that the technology is already crossing borders, with initiatives in Canada and Malaysia.
Around 300 job roles were transitioned out of areas subject to operational risks. All employees involved in autonomous technology implementation projects receive training – whether for new roles or to perform existing tasks differently while interacting with autonomous vehicles and machinery.
In 2025, Vale entered into an agreement to expand its fleet of autonomous off-highway trucks at the Northern System in Carajás( Pará). This expansion will take place gradually over the next five years at the Serra Norte and Serra Sul mines. The region currently operates 14 autonomous trucks, and under the new agreement, the fleet is expected to reach approximately 90 units by 2028. The expansion will be accompanied by an employee development plan designed to prepare staff for new strategic roles within the digital environment.
This AHS expansion in the Northern System is being done together with Caterpillar and its dealer Sotreq with deployment of Cat ® MineStar™ Command for hauling. It is significant in two ways – first the trucks involved in the project will coexist with another technology consolidated at Vale: the truckless system, which uses a network of longdistance belt conveyors to transport ore from one point to another without fuel consumption and with a significant reduction in carbon emissions.
Second, it involves both conversion of Caterpillar and competitor mining trucks. Marcelo Bacci, Vale Executive Vice President – Finance and Investor Relations told IM last year:“ With the autonomous trucks there was an important change in the industry more recently, where the autonomous kits that you buy are interchangeable between the different brands – so you can buy the kit from one brand and install on the truck you have from another brand. So that reduces a lot the CAPEX as you don’ t need to change the whole equipment – only make autonomous the truck that you had before.”
“ The use of autonomous transportation technologies in our operations in the Northern Corridor is a fundamental strategy to strengthen the culture of operational excellence and prepare our teams to lead with the challenges of an increasingly efficient, competitive and sustainable mining industry,” says Carlos Medeiros, VP of Operations at Vale.
Paul Moore Editorial Director paul @ im-mining. com
International Mining | AUGUST 2026 3