Agreement includes 33 Cat® 793 trucks being
converted to autonomous haulage
Caterpillar will assist with autonomy
deployment, change management and training
In addition to improving worker
safety, Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) estimates change will cut
Bagdad's GHG emissions and reduce
idle time by 10,000 hours annually
IRVING,
Texas, Oct. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Caterpillar
(NYSE: CAT) and Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) announce that the two
companies are collaborating to convert the mining company's fleet
of 33 Cat® 793 haul trucks at its Bagdad mine in Arizona to an autonomous haulage system (AHS)
using Cat MineStar™ Command for hauling.
"We look forward to partnering with Caterpillar to become the
first U.S. copper mine to implement a fully autonomous haulage
system and are excited about the numerous benefits it will bring to
our Bagdad operation and
employees," said Kathleen Quirk,
President, Freeport-McMoRan. "The three-year conversion project is
expected to improve safety, optimize our fleet, reduce GHG
emissions through reduced idle time and position us to capitalize
on future technological advancements in electrification."
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Command for hauling,
Caterpillar has more than 620 autonomous trucks operating with 15
customers on three continents. While operating autonomously, these
trucks have hauled more than 6.3 billion tonnes (6.9 billion tons)
of material and traveled more than 230 million km (143 million mi)
without causing any reported injuries.
"We are pleased to collaborate with FCX as they transition to
fully autonomous haulage at Bagdad," said Denise
Johnson, group president of Caterpillar Resource Industries.
"The Cat 793 haul truck remains Caterpillar's most popular
autonomous truck model and is well proven to enhance safety,
increase productivity, and reduce idle time across multiple
operations, including copper mines. Additionally, Caterpillar
continues to work with Freeport,
and other mining companies, to introduce new electrification
technologies supporting their sustainability objectives."
Located approximately 100 mi (161 km) northwest of Phoenix, Ariz., the Bagdad mine is a porphyry copper deposit
containing both sulfide and oxide mineralization. It consists of a
near 85,000 ton-per-day (77,000 tonne-per-day) concentrator that
produces copper and molybdenum concentrate and a solution
extraction/electrowinning (SX/EW) plant that produces 9 million lb
(4,1 million kg) of copper cathode per year. It is one of the
oldest, continuously operating SX/EW plants in the world.
More details on Cat MineStar Command for hauling can be found by
contacting a Cat dealer or visiting https://www.cat.com/.
About Caterpillar
With 2022 sales and revenues of
$59.4 billion, Caterpillar Inc. is
the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining
equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial
gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. For nearly 100 years,
we've been helping customers build a better, more sustainable world
and are committed and contributing to a reduced-carbon future. Our
innovative products and services, backed by our global dealer
network, provide exceptional value that helps customers succeed.
Caterpillar does business on every continent, principally operating
through three primary segments – Construction Industries, Resource
Industries and Energy & Transportation – and providing
financing and related services through our Financial Products
segment. Visit us at caterpillar.com or join the conversation on
our social media channels at
caterpillar.com/en/news/social-media.html.
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