Post by International Mining

Vale’s mine of the future journey continues Vale recently put out a comprehensive Research, Development, & Innovation Report for 2025 that delved in some detail into how #technology is shaping its mine of the future journey in terms of smarter and more #sustainableoperations. President Gustavo Pimenta: “We invest in solutions capable of increasing operational predictability, reducing risk exposure, improving mineral resource utilisation, and accelerating our decarbonisation journey. Beyond developing new technologies, we are focused on embedding innovation into the company’s daily operations, connecting strategy, operations, and execution. Safety remains our core value, and innovation plays a decisive role in this context.” Looking at #mining #fleetautomation – in 2018, the #Brucutu mine in #MinasGerais marked the beginning of a transformation that would change the way Vale operates. Vale: “The #operationalgains in productivity and predictability are significant: equipment such as trucks can increase their daily operating time from 15 to 20 hours. More precise operation also yields benefits: it extends the service life of components by up to 40% and tyres by up to 25%, thereby reducing replacements and waste.” Vale also says the use of autonomous vehicles yields gains of up to 15% in operational efficiency and a reduction of up to 7.5% in #fuelconsumption, thereby contributing to the reduction of Vale’s #carbonemissions. Currently, more than 70 #autonomous units are in operation in #Brazil: 29 off-highway trucks, 18 drills, and 30 yard machines. They operate in Minas Gerais, #Pará, #Maranhão, and #RiodeJaneiro, and Vale adds that the technology is already crossing borders, with initiatives in Canada & Malaysia. Around 300 job roles were transitioned out of areas subject to operational risks. All employees involved in #autonomoustechnology implementation projects receive training – whether for new roles or to perform existing tasks differently while interacting with autonomous vehicles & machinery. In 2025, Vale entered into an agreement to expand its fleet of autonomous off-highway trucks at the Northern System in #Carajás. This expansion will take place gradually over the next five years at #SerraNorte & #SerraSul mines. The region currently operates 14 AHS trucks & under the new agreement, the fleet is expected to reach ~90 units by 2028. This #AHS expansion is being done together with Caterpillar Inc. & dealer Sotreq S/A. It is significant in two ways – first 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. Second, it involves both conversion of Cat & competitor mining trucks. #Vale #futureofmining #miningAHS Marcelo Bacci