Auto fleet at mine a world first

The Newmont Boddington mine is set to become the world’s first open-pit gold mine with an autonomous haul truck fleet next year. The US gold miner announced its investment in an autonomous haulage system last Wednesday, claiming it aimed to enhance safety and productivity while extending the mine’s life. “Our investment in autonomous haul trucks will generate an internal rate of return greater than 35 per cent with a more controlled and efficient haulage operation,” Newmont president and chief executive Tom Palmer said. “We are also uniquely positioned in the gold sector to support effective implementation and operation of the fleet thanks to the technical capabilities and previous experience of leaders in our business. “Simply put, Boddington will be a safer, more productive world-class gold mine in a top-tier jurisdiction.” Total net investment in Boddington’s AHS will be $223 million, with efficiencies expected to extend the mine’s life by at least two years. Boddington Shire president Rod McSwain said the switch to driverless trucks was “inevitable”. “There are going to be fewer people needed for driving trucks and this investment is just part of company growth and efficiency,” he said. “The Shire is in no position to influence the company’s business decision. “It is inevitable ... a sign of the times and there is always going to be positive and negative sides.” Newmont said it would be “executing a robust people strategy” at Boddington, providing opportunities for reskilling and redeployment of haul truck drivers to other roles. It said Boddington’s autonomous Caterpillar haul trucks would feature safety controls that reduced employee exposure to vehicle interactions. Boddington is WA’s biggest gold producer, delivering 709,000oz of gold and 77 million pounds of copper in 2018. The mine directly employs about 2000 people.