BHP to roll out autonomous haulage at South Flank iron ore mine in June

BHP Group will introduce autonomous haulage at the South Flank iron ore operation in Western Australia in June, over a year after the $3.6 billion mine produced its first ore.

The rollout will be done in phases across five autonomous operation zones, the mining giant said Jan. 12. By September 2023, the entire fleet of 41 Komatsu 930e haul trucks will have been converted for autonomous operation along with about 180 pieces of equipment.

BHP said up to 60 roles will be created to ensure the pits can run autonomously and machines are operating. No job losses are anticipated.

The company expects the introduction of autonomous haulage to deliver safety and productivity benefits as well as add new skills and opportunities for the mining and maintenance teams.

In May 2021, BHP achieved first ore production at South Flank, which has a production capacity of 80 million tonnes of iron ore per year. When combined with the Area C operation, iron ore production is expected at 145 Mt/y.