Newmont (NYSE: NEM, TSX: NGT), the world’s largest gold miner, announced on Wednesday that its Boddington operation, in Australia, is to become the world’s first open-pit gold mine with an autonomous haul truck fleet once it begins operations in 2021.
The move, said the company, which
will enhance safety and productivity and is also expected to extend the mine’s
life by at least two years.
“Our investment in autonomous haul
trucks will generate an internal rate of return greater than 35% with a more
controlled and efficient haulage operation,” said president and chief executive
Tom Palmer.
Total net investment in
Boddington’s driverless Caterpillar fleet will be $150 million.
Newmont said it was already executing a plan aimed at providing opportunities
for reskilling and redeployment of haul truck drivers to other roles supporting
the Autonomous Haulage System (AHS).
Boddington, Western Australia’s
largest gold mine, produced 709,000 ounces of the precious metal and 77 million
pounds of copper in 2018. The mine directly employs approximately 2,000 people.
Newmont already owns the world’s first “all-electric” gold mine, which became part of its portfolio through its merger with Goldcorp last year. Borden, in Canada’s Ontario, began operations in October, featuring an electricity and battery-powered underground fleet.