Volvo and Boliden Complete 700,000-Tonne Autonomous Transport Milestone in Mining

Event summary

  • Volvo Autonomous Solutions (V.A.S.) and Boliden completed an autonomous transport project at Boliden's Garpenberg site, moving 700,000 tonnes of rock fill material.
  • The project involved 11,000 transport cycles covering 56,000 kilometers, demonstrating autonomous haulage at scale in real mining operations.
  • V.A.S.'s Autona / earth solution, delivered as Transport-as-a-Service, integrates autonomous technology into existing operations.
  • The milestone follows a 2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Volvo and Boliden, signaling continued collaboration.

The big picture

This milestone underscores the growing role of autonomous technology in enhancing safety and efficiency in hazardous mining environments. The successful collaboration between Volvo and Boliden sets a precedent for the industry, highlighting the potential for autonomous transport solutions to become a competitive standard in mining operations. The scale of the project—700,000 tonnes moved autonomously—demonstrates the viability of such technology at an operational level.

What we're watching

Scalability Proof
Whether V.A.S. can replicate this success in other mining operations and industries.
Partnership Dynamics
The pace at which Volvo and Boliden expand their collaboration beyond the Garpenberg project.
Regulatory Compliance
How V.A.S. manages the technical complexity and regulatory compliance required for broader autonomous transport deployment.

Related topics

Mining