Global mining equipment fleets are booming, with GlobalData projecting that there will be almost 171,000 machines active across mines globally by 2030. Alongside this growth, automation is accelerating as surface mines seek to stay competitive, safe and efficient amid mounting productivity demands.

Nowhere is this change more evident than in China – with the country boasting the world’s largest fleet of autonomous or autonomous-ready haulage trucks.

However, automation is no longer limited to haulage, with driverless drills, dozers and other support equipment rapidly entering the mix – and major players like BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue pushing the limits of mining automation.

As of July 2025, GlobalData’s mines and projects database shows China has 2,108 autonomous trucks and drills in opearation, up from 562 in July 2024. Australia has 1173 machines, 18% more than last year.

As autonomous technologies become more widespread, we look at some of the projects setting the pace.

More machines, more automation

Amit Kumar, mining project manager at GlobalData, Mining Technology‘s parent company, says that while mine automation has been thrust increasingly into the spotlight in recent years, it is a process that has been happening for years.

“Automation in surface mining has been happening since the mid-2000s, primarily with the aim of enhancing the safety of personnel and increasing the efficiency and productivity of mining operations,” Kumar says.

The trend is largely being seen with haul trucks and drills – with the roll out of autonomous trucks alone seeing an eightfold increase since 2020. According to Kumar, Oceania is second only to the broader Asia-Pacific region in terms of active autonomous equipment.

“GlobalData is tracking 4,000 surface autonomous trucks and drills operating across global surface open-pit mines, with Oceania making up 29% of this figure,” he says. “There are also some retrofit efforts for dozers, shovels and wheel loaders, but these remain less common.”

Australia’s leadership in mining automation is underpinned by a proactive regulatory approach. Western Australia (WA) introduced one of the world’s first codes of practice for autonomous mining in 2015, paving the way for commercial deployment a year later. New South Wales (NSW) followed in 2020, and Queensland in 2022, with guidelines focusing on training, risk management and operational integrity.

Now, Australia is home to many mine sites that rely on automated machines. Nick Jenkins, director at telecommunications infrastructure company Streamline Connect, tells Mining Technology that demand for this equipment is only expected to continue growing.

“Autonomy has significantly improved efficiency across the mining sector –operations are now faster, smarter and more data-driven,” he explains. “Over the past three to four years, AI has been increasingly leveraged to optimise truck routes, identify the most efficient haul roads and enhance overall site performances.

“It is no longer just about having a better network infrastructure,” Jenkins adds. “Industry leaders in the Pilbara, WA, are at the forefront of integrating advanced technology into every layer of their operations.”

Australia’s leading autonomous mining projects

Autonomous mining technology is hardly new in Australia, with Rio Tinto one of the earliest pioneers.

The company first launched autonomous haul trucks at its Yandicoogina and Nammuldi mines back in 2016 – making it the first in the world to use driverless trucks to transport iron ore. Since then, its autonomous fleet has transported just under five billion tonnes of material across ten sites in Australia.

Mining’s autonomous fleet keeps growing, with several deals over the past year bringing automated drilling equipment to mines.

At the beginning of this year, BHP signed a deal with Swedish OEM Epiroc to deploy its Pit Viper autonomous surface drills across its Pilbara iron ore mine, with deliveries schedule for the fourth quarter of 2025.

The fleet features automatic bit-changing technology that allows drill bits to be replaced at the press of a button, with the whole system monitored and controlled remotely from a facility more than 1,100km away in Perth.

Epiroc’s autonomous drills were also chosen for Fortescue’s Pilbara operations. Under a A$350m ($220m) deal signed in April 2025, around 50 of the cable and battery-electric drill rigs are to be delivered by 2030. Again, these rigs will be fully autonomous and controlled remotely from an operations centre in Perth, this time more than 1,500km away.

Additionally, in late 2024, Fortescue struck a landmark deal with Liebherr worth $2.8bn (SFr2.28bn), procuring 360 autonomous battery‑electric haul trucks, 55 electric excavators and 60 dozers for its Pilbara operations.

Yet despite the growing number of use cases, uptake is not without its challenges. Nellaiappan Subbiah, product manager of rotary drilling at Sandvik Mining, cautions that adoption of automation by itself is not enough – companies need to have a strong foundation to support rollout.

“Automating an already inefficient operation won’t solve the problem; in fact, it can make things worse,” says Subbiah. “To fully unlock the benefits of automation, it is essential to have the right foundational infrastructure in place.”

Connecting mines

According to Subbiah, mine sites need “reliable uninterrupted network coverage across the entire site”.

“This includes high-resolution video camera capabilities to stream real-time visuals to the remote operations centre, integration of the entire fleet – not just drills – into a unified fleet management system and the workforce themselves,” he explains.

With increasingly smart mines, connectivity is more important than ever before, although innovators are already entering the field to meet this challenge.

One example is Newmont’s deployment of Ericsson Private 5G at its Cadia gold-copper mine in NSW, marking the first use of private 5G for tele-remote dozing as part of surface operations. Using the network, Newmont connected its entire dozer fleet across a 2.5km span from a single base station.

However, Jenkins says 5G isn’t always necessary.

“5G really shows its value when you have got high-data-use equipment in a smaller footprint area, like drill rigs streaming HD camera feeds in real time,” Jenkins explains. “But in smaller mines – say 5–10km across with 15–20 trucks – 4G/LTE [long-term evolution] usually does the job just fine.”

The bigger challenge, he believes, is transmitting that data back to the operations centre in real time.

“For remote autonomous operations, maintaining ultra-low latency is critical, especially for autonomous haulage,” Jenkins says. “Even minor delays can trigger equipment shutdowns as a safety precaution. This is why many mining operations either establish fully isolated internal networks or connect their sites to remote operations centres via dedicated dark fibre.”

Connectivity solutions in Australia are already well developed, with mining majors having refined integration of these tools into operations over the past few years. While the solutions are typically still reserved for larger-scale mines, as the tools become increasingly accessible Jenkins suggests they will trickle down to smaller-scale operations.

“Currently, it is primarily the tier-one miners who are deploying autonomy at scale,” says Jenkins. “Tier-two and tier-three operators have been slower to adopt [automation], largely due to the upfront investment required – but as the technology continues to mature and become more commoditised, the real growth opportunity lies in its broader adoption across the rest of the industry.”

Challenges to uptake of automated mining equipment

While the benefits of automation – improved safety, emission reductions and higher productivity – are clear, mining operators still have to contend with hurdles such as high costs and infrastructure developments.

“There is a significant upfront cost [to mine automation],” says Kumar. “This comes from installing site-wide hardware, software and communications infrastructure.

“Implementing autonomous technology also presents many challenges related to operational, technical and safety parameters for mine planning and scheduling,” he adds.

That redesign includes everything from haul roads and bench precision to dump site layouts, all of which must meet the stricter standards required for autonomous operation.

Other barriers include the interoperability challenges of integrating equipment from multiple original equipment manufacturers, ensuring seamless connectivity and building acceptance among workers and leadership.

“Smaller miners in particular are sceptical because of the reliability and maturity of this technology,” Kumar says. “You need highly reliable technology systems which do not show bugs, glitches and failures leading to a halt in operations.”

Reskilling the workforce – from management teams to the miners themselves – is also necessary if the technology is to be embraced.

In particular, Jenkins says that a greater knowledge base in private LTE (pLTE) networks is necessary.

“There is a clear skills gap when it comes to pLTE operations,” he explains. “The work can be repetitive, which makes retention a challenge, and those with strong pLTE capabilities are often tied to short-term contract roles. Despite that, demand for skilled pLTE technicians and engineers is only increasing, especially as more operations shift towards global private network experience and digital autonomy.”

Still, those barriers haven’t stopped the steady rise of autonomous operations, and with the right foundation in place – from skilled teams to integrated systems – miners are well-positioned to unlock the full potential of autonomy and continue building smarter, more sustainable operations.

Speaking with Subbiah, he explains that with the right framework to support sustainable growth, the industry can expect to continue growing.

“Demand for surface mining equipment continues to evolve, driven by the need for increased productivity, sustainability and safety,” says Subbiah. “To stay ahead in this fast-paced dynamic industry, it demands continuous product development, deep industry knowledge and strong partnerships.”