By Brazil Stock Guide – Vale SA (VALE3) signed an agreement with Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) and Brazilian dealer Sotreq to expand its autonomous haul truck program at the company’s Northern System iron ore operations in Carajás, Pará.
According to information originally reported by Broadcast on Monday (8), the Northern System currently operates 14 autonomous trucks, each capable of transporting up to 320 tons. The new agreement calls for a gradual fleet expansion over the next five years across the Serra Norte and Serra Sul mining hubs.
The deal increases the total autonomous fleet to roughly 90 units by 2028—60 in Serra Norte and 30 in Serra Sul—using the Cat® MineStar™ Command system for hauling, including models with 400-ton capacity. Vale said the upgrade aims to boost operational efficiency, enhance safety standards and support the company’s sustainability agenda.
The miner highlighted productivity gains of up to 15% and fuel consumption improvements of as much as 7.5% in previous deployments, reducing carbon emissions. Since the first autonomous units were introduced in the Northern System in 2019, more than 260 employees have been trained for new digitally oriented roles.
Carlos Medeiros, Vale’s vice president of operations, said the expansion underscores the company’s long-term strategy. “A utilização de tecnologias de transporte autônomo nas nossas operações no Corredor Norte é uma estratégia fundamental para fortalecermos a cultura de excelência operacional, e prepararmos nossas equipes para liderarem os desafios de uma mineração cada vez mais eficiente, competitiva e sustentável,” he said.
Vale launched its autonomous program in 2018 at the Brucutu mine in Minas Gerais and now operates more than 70 autonomous units in Brazil, including haul trucks, drill rigs and yard machines.