Vale, Caterpillar and Sotreq have signed an agreement to expand the fleet of autonomous haul trucks in iron ore operations in the northern system, in the Carajás region of Pará.
The technology will be gradually expanded over the next five years at the Serra Norte and Serra Sul units, further increasing the company's operational efficiency, safety standards and sustainability. The implementation will be accompanied by a plan to develop employees, preparing them to perform strategic functions in the digital environment.
Currently, the northern system operation has 14 autonomous haul trucks with a capacity to carry up to 320 tons. This new agreement expands the fleet to approximately 90 autonomous trucks in the region by 2028, operated by Cat MineStar command for hauling, including trucks with a capacity to carry up to 400-tons.
The initiative represents a transformational leap: autonomous trucks remove workers from hazardous areas, enabling safer and more inclusive environments and increasing operational efficiency — as shown by results obtained in other Vale's operations using autonomous vehicles — with gains of up to 15 percent in operational performance and a reduction of up to 7.5 percent in fuel, contributing to the reduction of the company's carbon emissions.
Since the implementation of autonomous vehicles in the northern system began in 2019, more than 260 professionals have been trained in the new roles created and in interacting with digital systems, following international best practices and global industry developments.
"The use of autonomous transport technologies in our operations in the northern corridor is a fundamental strategy to strengthen our culture of operational excellence and prepare our teams to lead the challenges of increasingly efficient, competitive and sustainable mining," said Carlos Medeiros, Vale's vice president of operations.
With this expansion, Vale reaffirms its role as a leader in the mining of the future — more innovative, safer, more efficient and more sustainable — and in the development of professionals prepared to lead this transformation, according to the company.
"By integrating autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and advanced data analysis, we are modernizing our mining operations in the northern corridor, becoming a global benchmark in smart mining, promoting the transformation of the industry and connecting us to international best practices," said Rafael Bittar, Vale's vice president, technical.
"We're proud to introduce Cat command for hauling at Vale's Carajás site," said Marc Cameron, senior vice president of Caterpillar. "By equipping Vale's haul trucks with our autonomous technology, we will be delivering scalable solutions that meet their needs across a mixed fleet."
In Serra Sul, the trucks involved in the project will coexist with another technology consolidated at Vale: the truckless system, which uses a network of long-distance belt conveyors to transport ore from one point to another without fuel consumption and with a significant reduction in carbon emissions.
Vale's autonomous program began in 2018 with the implementation of Cat autonomous trucks at the Brucutu mine in Minas Gerais. Currently, there are more than 70 autonomous pieces of equipment in operation at the company, including trucks, drills and yard machines.
