According to a press release , Holcim and Volvo Autonomous Solutions are working together to test and further develop self-driving “dumpers”, ie dump trucks, that run on battery-powered electric drives. Holcim has chosen its Gabenchopf limestone quarry in Villigen as the location for the joint project with the Swedish company from Gothenburg. The limestone and marl required for cement production in the Holcim cement plant in Siggenthal are grown there. According to Holcim, the plant, which has existed since 1912, is one of the largest cement plants in Switzerland and produces over 900,000 tonnes of cement annually.
According to the Holcim announcement, the new electric and driverless dumpers mark a groundbreaking step. The world's first, commercially available, CE-certified electric and autonomous transport solution for the quarry and cement industry is being tested.
The project shows a "sustainable transport solution that is commercially viable and reflects the technological changes in connectivity, automation and electrification," Nils Jaeger, President of Volvo Autonomous Solutions, is quoted as saying. And Simon Kronenberg, CEO of Holcim Switzerland and Italy, sees the joint project as “a further step towards realizing our sustainability goals”. According to the press release, Holcim has been using 100 percent renewable electrical energy at all locations since 2019.
The tests and the possible use of battery-electric dumpers are part of Holcim's Plant of Tomorrow digitization initiative – the plant of tomorrow, according to the press release. Holcim tests automation technologies, robotics and artificial intelligence throughout the production process.
