FMG increases autonomous fleet

Fortescue Metals Group is expanding its fleet of autonomous haul trucks with the conversion of 100 vehicles at its Chichester mining hub, leaving the company with a fully driverless fleet.

The iron ore miner said the first six trucks fitted with the technology were now in operation at the Christmas Creek mine, with plans to automate the entire fleet by mid-2020.

Fortescue has about 60 autonomous trucks operating at its Solomon hub.

Since the introduction of the technology at Solomon in 2013, driverless trucks have moved over half a billion tonnes of material and have achieved a more than 30 per cent increase in productivity.

Fortescue chief executive Elizabeth Gaines said the company has a history of embracing leading edge technology to ensure it remained at the lowest end of the global cost curve.

“Innovation and technology is fundamental to driving sustained productivity and efficiency improvements across the business, ensuring we continue to deliver returns for our shareholders and key stakeholders,” she said.

“Most importantly, the introduction of AHS technology is leading to improved safety outcomes by significantly reducing the risk to our team members.”

Ms Gaines said the company was focused on redeploying workers affected by the rollout of the new technology.

“We are working closely with our team members to offer professional development opportunities to expand their capabilities and provide pathways to a significant range of different roles throughout the company,” she said.

Shares in Fortescue were up 0.6 per cent at $4.47 today.