Volvo Autonomous Solutions (V.A.S.) and mining company Boliden have completed an autonomous haulage project at the Garpenberg mine in Sweden, transporting nearly 700,000 tonnes of rock fill using self-driving trucks.
The project marks the first completed initiative under a memorandum of understanding signed by the two companies in 2023 and demonstrates the deployment of autonomous transport technology in an active mining operation.
According to Volvo Autonomous Solutions, the autonomous fleet completed more than 11,000 transport cycles and traveled approximately 56,000 kilometers while moving material from a quarry to reinforce and raise the wall of a local tailings dam.
Autonomous Haulage in Operational Conditions
The project was carried out using Volvo’s Autona/earth autonomous transport platform, which is designed for mining and quarry applications.
The system combines autonomous Volvo FH trucks with Volvo’s proprietary virtual driver technology, alongside supporting infrastructure, maintenance services and operational management.
Volvo said the deployment was conducted within Boliden’s existing operations, providing an opportunity to evaluate autonomous haulage under real-world production conditions.
“Autonomy has clear benefits for the mining industry, especially when it comes to removing people from hazardous environments and improving the safety and efficiency of operations,” said Ingo Stuermer, chief technology officer at Volvo Autonomous Solutions.
“With more than 700,000 tonnes transported at Garpenberg, we have demonstrated that autonomous haulage works at scale, in real conditions and in real customer operations.”
Supporting Mining Infrastructure
The transported rock material was used to strengthen a local dam structure and increase the height of the dam wall at the Garpenberg site.
Boliden said the project forms part of its efforts to explore automation technologies that can improve safety and productivity across mining operations.
“We are very pleased to reach the 700,000 milestone of autonomous transports at our tailings facility in Garpenberg,” said Rikard Mäki, head of electrification and automation at Boliden.
“Of course, we will continue to seek safe and productive solutions in partnership, with the aim of developing world-leading mining operations.”
Transport-as-a-Service Model
Volvo Autonomous Solutions delivers the Autona/earth platform through a Transport-as-a-Service model, integrating autonomous technology into customer operations while managing technical and regulatory requirements.
The company said the approach is intended to simplify adoption of autonomous transport systems by allowing operators to focus on production activities rather than technology management.
Foundation for Future Projects
The completion of the Garpenberg deployment provides a foundation for continued collaboration between Volvo and Boliden as both companies explore further opportunities in mining automation.
Volvo Autonomous Solutions said the project demonstrates that autonomous haulage can be deployed at scale in selected mining applications and may offer benefits in terms of operational efficiency and workplace safety.
The milestone comes as mining companies increasingly evaluate automation technologies to address productivity, safety and workforce challenges while supporting the modernization of mining operations.
