Volvo to supply autonomous transport to Boliden’s Swedish mines
Boliden and Volvo Autonomous Solutions have entered into a long-term strategic collaboration regarding autonomous transport solutions at Boliden’s mines. The first project is located at the Garpenberg zinc mine and will be initiated already during 2023.
As a part of the implementation agreement, Volvo will deliver an autonomous solution to transport rock fill from an on-site quarry to be used to secure long-term storage capacity at Garpenberg’s tailings facility. The transports cover a distance of up to 4 km and include five trucks.
Volvo will develop and deliver the complete autonomous solution that includes vehicles, hardware, software, and training. Based on a transport as a service (TaaS) model, the autonomous transport solution will be built on Volvo’s premium truck range and in-house developed virtual driver. Volvo will, in addition, provide a wheel loader for the loading operation.
“It is of course very satisfying that we can be far ahead in technology development and ensure the continued development of our business. automation is an important part of increasing safety and competitiveness. With this collaboration, we further increase our competence and experience,” says Daniel Eklund, director technology, Boliden Mines.
The agreement around autonomous transports in Garpenberg is the first collaboration within a strategic memorandum of understanding between Boliden and Volvo autonomous Solutions aimed at developing new technology related to electrification underground, remote controlled loading, and autonomous underground transports.