The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Metal Tech News - November 1, 2023
Freeport-McMoRan is converting the fleet of Cat 793 mining trucks at its Bagdad copper-molybdenum mine in Arizona to autonomous models equipped with Caterpillar's MineStar.
Caterpillar Early Learner clients during a 2022 demonstration of a prototype battery-electric Cat 793 mining truck.
Bringing the autonomous mines of the future one large step to present-day reality, Freeport-McMoRan is converting the 33 human-driven, 250-ton Cat haul trucks at its Bagdad copper-molybdenum mine in Arizona to a fleet of the latest self-driving trucks built by Caterpillar.
"We look forward to partnering with Caterpillar to become the first U.S. copper mine to implement a fully autonomous haulage system and are excited about the numerous benefits it will bring to our Bagdad operation and employees," said Freeport-McMoRan President Kathleen Quirk.
Just because Bagdad will be the first U.S. copper mine with a full fleet of haul trucks without drivers in the cab does not mean that the Cat MineStar Command autonomous haulage system has not yet proven its ability to bring the benefits of safety, efficiency, and reliability to mines around the world.
Since the first MineStar Command truck was introduced 10 years ago, Caterpillar has delivered more than 620 of these autonomous heavy haulers to 15 mining customers on three continents. These enormous self-driving trucks have delivered more than 6.9 billion metric tons (1.5 trillion pounds) of material and traveled more than 143 million miles, equivalent to 5,743 trips around Earth, without causing any reported injuries.
Freeport will begin contributing to Caterpillar's autonomous haulage stats as it converts its entire fleet of two-story-tall Cat 793 trucks to self-driving models.
"The three-year conversion project is expected to improve safety, optimize our fleet, reduce GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions through reduced idle time and position us to capitalize on future technological advancements in electrification," said Quirk.
It is expected that the trucks at Bagdad will be replaced with autonomous versions of the 793, a popular model that is anticipated to be one of the first large Cat trucks that will also be available in a battery-electric version.
"The Cat 793 haul truck remains Caterpillar's most popular autonomous truck model and is well proven to enhance safety, increase productivity, and reduce idle time across multiple operations, including copper mines," said Caterpillar Resource Industries President Denise Johnson.
Freeport and other global mining companies have joined Caterpillar's Early Learner program focused on accelerating the development and validation of Cat battery electric trucks at participating customers' sites.
During a demonstration carried out at about this time last year, participants of Caterpillar Early Learner attended a live demonstration of the prototype Cat 793 Electric mining truck running a 4.3-mile test track in Arizona.
Loaded to capacity, this battery-powered truck accelerated to a top speed of 37.3 miles per hour. The truck climbed a 0.6-mile (about one kilometer) slope with a 10% grade at an average speed of 7.5 mph and put some charge back into the battery as it traveled down the backside of the hill.
Having trucks without tailpipes doing the heaving lifting at Bagdad would significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the 9 million pounds of copper produced each year at this mine about 100 miles northwest of Phoenix, Ariz.
With more than 16 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration and technology metals.
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