Volvo Autonomous Solutions is successfully demonstrating the commercial viability of driverless trucks in mining and quarrying sectors, having transported over three million tonnes of material across various sites in Europe. Notably, at the Brønnøy Kalk quarry in Norway, nine autonomous trucks operate on a 5km route, efficiently transporting materials through steep tunnels.
Since starting operations in 2023, the Norwegian site exceeded one million tonnes hauled by 2025. Similarly, at the Boliden-run Garpenberg mine in Sweden, the trucks were employed during a dam reinforcement project, demonstrating their adaptability to different tasks.
Customers can access this technology through Autona / earth, which offers a bundled service including the trucks equipped with Volvo Virtual Driver technology, along with necessary infrastructure, operational support, and fleet management. This model alleviates the integration challenges and significant capital investments typically associated with autonomous solutions.
These trucks are manufactured at Volvo’s factory in Säffle, Sweden, allowing for a consistent and rapid rollout as demand for autonomous hauling increases. Ingo Stürmer, the Chief Technology Officer, highlighted the milestone of reaching three million tonnes as a testament to the evolution and effectiveness of their autonomous transport systems, resulting from extensive collaboration with clients to scale operations effectively in real-world scenarios.
For more details, you can visit the Volvo Autonomous Solutions press release.
