Five Cat 794 AC mining trucks, part of a fleet of 27 units, make history in the country by starting autonomous operation in Quellaveco

Autonomy is already a reality in Peruvian mining. Ferreyros, a leader in heavy machinery, and its subsidiary Caterpillar put the first autonomous trucks in Peru into operation in the Quellaveco copper project. These are five Cat 794 AC units, of 320 tons, which are part of an autonomous fleet that will reach a total of 27 trucks of this model in the mine.

Gonzalo Díaz Pró, general manager of Ferreyros, highlighted the significance of this milestone. “With almost a century in the country, Ferreyros and Caterpillar have led the introduction of innovations that contribute to the transformation of our mining industry, accompanying all operations in the territory. Today it is an honor to be part of the future of mining in Peru,” he said.

“Our first autonomous Caterpillar trucks are already operating safely and productively, thus becoming the first 100% autonomous haulage mining operation in the Americas. Autonomy improves safety, increases productivity and optimizes the use of mining trucks,” said Fernando Armas Tamayo, vice president of Large Mining at Ferreyros. 

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Peruvian talent and capacity building

Today, Peruvian engineers and technicians from Ferreyros, together with Caterpillar, have been making autonomy possible in Peru. Several years ago, Ferreyros realized the importance of autonomy, which led to training and exchange of experiences with the factory and other Cat dealers in countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States. 

Noteworthy is the launch in Peru of the SIM School, a Caterpillar global initiative present in large mining countries, which uses simulation tools for training in autonomy. Thus, Ferreyros has been developing individual work teams for each autonomous project in the country.

It is important to highñlight that, worldwide, autonomy has led to the development of new technical positions in operational roles, maintenance and various processes in the mine. 

Adoption of autonomy

All Caterpillar mining trucks in Peru have the option of adopting autonomy, thanks to the Cat Command technology for haulage, from Caterpillar’s MineStar platform, which allows autonomous operation of trucks and auxiliary equipment in the mine.

Caterpillar's global leadership in autonomy is reflected in its results. On three continents, more than 370 mining trucks already use Caterpillar's autonomy technology, moving to date more than 3 billion tons autonomously and safely, with no lost-time accidents, over 110 million kilometers, and demonstrating productivity gains of 20% and 30%.

Leadership in mining

In Peru, Ferreyros has delivered to the national mining industry more than 700 Caterpillar trucks, both electric traction and mechanical traction, powered by diesel engines, or with the option of incorporating a dual system with LNG; in various load capacities; and intended for both conventional and autonomous operation.

In the last year, six out of ten large mining machines were Caterpillar, according to official import information. Ferreyros’ pioneering position stands out in trends such as gigantism, with trucks of maximum load capacity. Seventy-six percent of the400 ton truck fleet in Peru is Caterpillar, with mechanical and electric traction options.

With more than 3,000 employees, Ferreyros is the leading company in the provision of heavy machinery and specialized services in Peru, representing Caterpillar and other prestigious brands.

(Reference images of global operations)