Brazilian mining group Vale SA announced on Thursday that it has deployed self-driving trucks for the first time at its largest iron ore mine in Carajas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vale thinks the driverless trucks would boost production and safety in their main mission, according to Pedro Bemfica, head of the autonomous technology program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vale’s six self-driving vehicles in Carajas are nearly twice the height and more than three times the width of a conventional truck and can hold 320 tonnes of iron ore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mammoth equipment will be used alongside the fleet of 120 normal off-road vehicles, with four more self-driving trucks to be added by the end of 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vale predicts that the trucks, which travel constantly and at higher speeds, would cut fuel consumption by 5% and support the company’s plans to minimize its greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vale’s entire fleet of 13 off-road vehicles at the Brucutu mine in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais is autonomous, and there has not been a single accident since the technology was first deployed there in 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company plans to invest $64 million to increase its fleet of self-driving trucks to 37 units in Carajas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more information, view the original story from Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n