FLEET AUTOMATION
Hexagon autonomy equipped MinRes road trains hauling iron ore in WA
Autonomy all angles
From road trains to rigid trucks to wide body trucks, autonomy continues to make inroads in mine haulage – including the established OEMled systems plus the new breed of OEM-agnostic players. Paul Moore reports
While open pit operations themselves are seeing strong demand for autonomous haulage, in certain locations, notably Australia, there is also demand for long distance road train automation. Last October, Fortescue and Scania agreed to jointly develop and validate a fully integrated autonomous road train solution.
“ 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, Managing Director at Scania Australia. The autonomous solution is being developed, tested and validated in partnership at Fortescue’ s iron ore operations at Christmas Creek.
With Scania’ s technology in truck automation, the autonomous solution is being integrated with Fortescue’ s Fleet Management System( FMS), which is designed to optimise fleet utilisation and maximise productivity, while ensuring
36 efficient fuel and energy consumption to reduce carbon emissions.
The solution would also integrate Scania’ s onboard autonomation hardware and technology for the Scania R770 prime mover platform, coupled with three trailers weighing 120 t with a payload of 240 t.“ This is a great opportunity for Scania to learn more about autonomy in demanding conditions with an innovative partner,” said Peter Hafmar, Head of Autonomous Solutions, Scania.
Fortescue Metals Chief Executive Officer, 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 would help us maximise productivity with unique low-cost solutions in our mining value chain.”
Scania Australia has been working closely with Fortescue for many years, and said it is pleased to see this joint development project become a reality.“ Their heavy haul trucks operate in an incredibly harsh environment. The local and global mining specialists have devised a solution that will bring both efficiency and safety,” says Robert Taylor, Head of Mining at Scania Australia.
MinRes and autonomous road trains for Onslow
When Mineral Resources( MinRes) achieved first ore on ship for its Onslow Iron project in May 2024, the commencement of one of Australia’ s most innovative iron ore projects marked the newest chapter for the diversified mining services and commodities company. With a nameplate capacity of 35 Mt / y, Onslow Iron’ s innovative pit-to-ship supply chain it says is now unlocking what many considered to be stranded assets in the West Pilbara region.
And with mining operations gathering steam at the Ken’ s Bore mine site and MinRes transhippers ferrying iron ore out of the Port of Ashburton, it’ s the long-life infrastructure linking these two locations – Onslow Iron’ s dedicated private haul road – which is playing a critical role in unlocking the project’ s true value.
One of the most pressing project challenges was a cost-effective way to transport iron ore 150 km from Ken’ s Bore to the Port of Ashburton, for which a traditional heavy rail system was deemed cost inhibitive.
International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2025