V.A.S. and Boliden have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under which both companies will collaborate on various projects, the first of which will be the implementation of an autonomous transport solution at Garpenberg that will be used to move rock fill from an on-site quarry.
“Whether it is removing people from hazardous environments, 24/7 operations unencumbered by working hours or reducing emissions through better utilization of resources and assets—autonomy offers several benefits that can help the mining and quarrying industry address its most pressing challenges. We are excited to partner with Boliden and support their journey towards a future where autonomous vehicles and humans work side by side to make Boliden’s operations safer, more efficient, and sustainable,” says Nils Jaeger, President of Volvo Autonomous Solutions.
“Autonomous solutions benefit both safety and productivity. The partnership with V.A.S. is therefore of great strategic importance and we are of course delighted with the project in Garpenberg already underway. Demand for base metals will increase going forward and sustainable as well as competitive solutions will be key in the value creation of mining," says Mikael Staffas, President and CEO, Boliden.
As a part of the implementation, V.A.S. will deliver a complete autonomous transport solution that includes vehicles, hardware, software, control room, repair and maintenance, and training. The solution will be based on V.A.S. in-house developed virtual driver and the Volvo Trucks’ premium truck range. In addition, V.A.S. will provide a wheel loader for the loading operation.
To prepare the site for the implementation of self-driving trucks, Boliden will adapt its operations and build the necessary infrastructure.
The project will commence in 2023 with a testing and development phase followed by implementation and fully autonomous operations.
September 13th, 2023
For further information, please contact:
Ceren Wende
Head of Marketing and Communication, Volvo Autonomous Solutions
Phone: + 46 31 322 4536
E-mail: ceren.wende@volvo.com
About Volvo Autonomous Solutions (V.A.S.)
The autonomous transport solution offered by Volvo Autonomous Solutions includes a vehicle purpose-built for autonomous driving, a virtual driver, required infrastructure, operations, and uptime support as well as a cloud solution that controls the transport system and manages logistics flows. The solutions developed by V.A.S. are tailor-made for each customers’ needs and intended to make their operations safer, productive, and sustainable.
About Boliden
Boliden’s vision is to be the most climate-friendly and respected metal provider in the world. We are Europe’s producer of sustainable metals and, guided by our values care, courage and responsibility, we operate within exploration, mines, smelters and recycling. We are more than 6,000 employees and have annual revenues of approximately SEK 85 billion.
For more information, please visit volvogroup.com
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The Volvo Group drives prosperity through transport and infrastructure solutions, offering trucks, buses, construction equipment, power solutions for marine and industrial applications, financing and services that increase our customers’ uptime and productivity. Founded in 1927, the Volvo Group is committed to shaping the future landscape of sustainable transport and infrastructure solutions. The Volvo Group is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, employs more than 100,000 people and serves customers in almost 190 markets. In 2022, net sales amounted to SEK 473 billion (EUR 45 billion). Volvo shares are listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.
