Volvo Autonomous Solutions (V.A.S.) achieves industry-first milestone with the removal of the safety driver in an active commercial mining operation at Brönnöy Kalk mine in Velfjord, Norway.
The autonomous transport solution developed for Brönnöy Kalk consists of seven autonomously driving Volvo FH trucks and V.A.S.’s in-house developed virtual driver. Operating in challenging conditions that include steep inclination, extreme weather and long stretches of dark tunnels, the trucks haul limestone from the mine to the crusher.
“A long-held vision is now a reality. Removing the safety driver in an active commercial transport operation in some of the world’s most challenging conditions is a major leap for the industry,” says Nils Jaeger, Present of Volvo Autonomous Solutions.
“This is a major step forward for us” says Raymond Langfjord, Managing Director of Brönnöy Kalk. “We implemented autonomous trucks for several reasons—safety, efficiency and flexibility. With the removal of the safety driver we can now truly reap these benefits and increase our competitiveness in this tough industry.”
Volvo has been working on this project since 2018.
