A European first, the Swedish company acquires the system for its Aitik mine fleet
Vilvoorde, 25 October 2021 — Komatsu Europe is pleased to announce that Komatsu FrontRunner, an Autonomous Haulage System (AHS), will be deployed on 11 930E-5 ultra-class haul trucks at Aitik, one of Europe's largest open pit copper mines, located in northern Sweden and owned by the Swedish company Boliden.
Boliden is a metals company with a focus on sustainable development. The company’s core competence is within the fields of exploration, mining, smelting and metals recycling.
The introduction of FrontRunner at Aitik will mark the first time the system is rolled out in Europe. Together with Hesselberg Maskin AB, the local Komatsu distributor, Komatsu Europe will also provide training and support throughout the project.
The FrontRunner system is expected to be a significant upgrade to Boliden’s fleet at its Aitik mine: this Komatsu system offers automation that can yield substantial benefits for a mining operation. Combining the reliability and durability of Komatsu electric drive trucks with the power of innovative autonomous haulage technology has helped mining customers worldwide increase productivity and reduce total cost of ownership while promoting zero harm.
Komatsu FrontRunner is a well-proven system, with over 4 billion tonnes moved since its first commercial deployment in 2008 at CODELCO’s Gabriela Mistral (Gaby) copper mine in Chile.
Komatsu’s approach for FrontRunner AHS brings together ultra-class dump trucks with Modular Mining’s industry-leading DISPATCH® Fleet Management System, the preferred management system in nine of the 10 largest mining operations in the world. The system enables 100% compliance to its proven optimization methodology.
The essential minerals needed to power modern society are getting harder to find and tougher to mine, and customers trust mining companies to deliver these resources. Komatsu focuses on helping mining companies meet those needs productively and responsibly.
About Komatsu
Komatsu develops and supplies technologies, equipment and services for the construction, mining, forklift, industrial and forestry markets. For a century, the company has been creating value for its customers through manufacturing and technology innovation, partnering with others to empower a sustainable future where people, business and the planet thrive together. Front-line industries worldwide use Komatsu solutions to develop modern infrastructure, extract fundamental minerals, maintain forests and create consumer products. The company's global service and distributor networks support customer operations to enhance safety and productivity while optimizing performance.
