Vale to boost autonomous truck fleet in deal with Caterpillar

Brazilian miner Vale has signed an agreement with Caterpillar and Sotreq to quintuple its autonomous off-road truck fleet by 2028 at its Northern System area, executive vice president of operations Carlos Medeiros told Reuters.

“This contract is another step toward a larger plan we have, which is the adoption of these trucks on a large scale,” Medeiros said.

Vale’s fleet would reach 90 units, up from 18 at the end of this year, according to Medeiros.

The initiative will reduce emissions, improve safety and boost productivity at Vale’s Northern System, its largest iron ore- and copper-producing area, he said.

The bulk of the expansion will come from converting conventional vehicles already in use.

Large-scale adoption

Vale operates some 130-140 off-road trucks in the Northern System, including both autonomous and conventional vehicles.

Autonomous trucks in operation carry up to 320 metric tons, but the fresh deal includes 400-ton models.

Financial details were not disclosed, but Vale’s total investment in autonomous trucks reached about $210 million through 2024.

Vale’s autonomous truck program began in 2018 at the Brucutu mine in Minas Gerais, a state where it also plans to expand its fleet.

(By Marta Nogueira and Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)