BHP robot trucks to haul Goonyella Riverside coal from 2020
BHP has pulled the trigger on the deployment of automated trucks in its Queensland coal operations.
BHP has pulled the trigger on the deployment of automated trucks in its Queensland coal operations, telling workers at the Goonyella Riverside mine on Tuesday that the first of a fleet of 86 autonomous haulers will roll onto site next year.
The decision by the mine’s general manager makes Goonyella the first BHP-operated mine outside of its Pilbara iron ore operations to move to autonomous haulage systems, and the first major deployment of automated trucks into the coal industry.
Whitehaven Coal has been trialling a small autonomous fleet at its Maules Creek mine in NSW, but not at the scale being flagged by BHP, and coal major Anglo American deferred a decision on rolling out the technology into its own Queensland coal operations.
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Goonyella is run by BMA, BHP’s joint venture with Japanese corporate giant Mitsubishi, and BMA boss James Palmer said the first trucks would begin operating on site without drivers in 2020, with as many as 86 trucks to be converted or deployed within two years.
BHP has been quietly working on its plans for the deployment of autonomous vehicles in Queensland coal for some time, treading cautiously for fear of a backlash from a politically powerful regional workforce that delivered government to Prime Minister Scott Morrison in May on the back of a vigorous election campaign centred on the importance of jobs in the coal industry.
Mr Palmer said on Tuesday that there would be no forced redundancies at the mine as a result of the deployment, saying the total number of jobs would rise, with the robot trucks creating new planning, technical and maintenance roles.
BHP has said a decision on the rollout of the technology would be made on a site-by-site basis in Queensland, with other BMA mines set to make a call in the new year.
BHP’s announcement drew an immediate response from mining unions, with CFMEU mining and energy Queensland president Stephen Smyth demanding BHP not only guarantee it would not force redundancies at the mine, but would also ensure any remote operations centre used to oversee the new fleet would be located in a regional centre, not at its Brisbane head office.
While a feasibility study has been running at Goonyella for some time, Mr Smyth accused BHP of failing to consult with its workforce before making the call.
“BHP can choose to put the interests of the workforce and local community at the centre of their automation strategy or simply chase profits by replacing good local jobs with robots,” he said.
“By failing to engage in any consultation or provide information to the workforce, they appear to be chasing profits at the expense of workers. At the end of the day, if this industry is just creating dust and traffic without generating good local employment and economic activity, it will lose its social licence to operate.”
BHP did not announce the location of the remote operations centre that will be used to monitor and control the Goonyella fleet, but has previously said the impact on local employment will be a major factor in any decision on the matter.
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