Caterpillar has announced a renewed agreement with Fortescue to continue the supply and operation of the company’s mining automation technology at three mines in Western Australia.
The agreement builds on a decade-long deployment of MineStar Command technology at Fortescue’s operations, which began in 2012 when the miner became the first global company to implement Cat’s autonomous haulage system on a commercial scale.
Discussions were held between Fortescue’s operating entities Chichester Metals and FMG Solomon.
Advancements in automation technology at the three sites in WA, Cat said, support Fortescue’s continued focus on safety and operational efficiency that align with its 2030 Real Zero target.
Cat’s work has been longstanding with Fortescue, with senior vice president of resource industry sales, service and technology Marc Cameron highlighting the benefits of continued development.
“Our work with Fortescue on autonomous haul trucks and systems to drive operational improvements at site has been longstanding,” Cameron said. “The Caterpillar team looks forward to furthering this advanced technology deployment and leadership built on the foundation of innovation set over a decade ago.”
The company has built itself into one of the world’s leading low-cost iron ore producers through focus on safety, productivity, capital discipline and operational performance.