Fresh from being retrofitted at its Hazelmere facility, the first haul truck in Australia equipped with EACON’s autonomous technology is getting ready for commissioning. Jerry, a Komatsu HD1500, just arrived on-site at Norton Gold Fields Pty Ltd, ready to begin an autonomy trial in partnership with EACON Mining.
EACON stated: “We’re proud to enable this trial as EACON’s deployment partner, bringing operational expertise and on-site capability to help ensure a successful outcome. With more than a decade of experience in autonomous mining services, this milestone reflects Thiess’ continued focus on delivering innovative asset and technology solutions for our clients.”
In May 2025, Thiess announced that it had partnered with Norton Gold Fields and EACON Mining Technology, to officially launch a groundbreaking tripartite partnership to deploy autonomous haulage technology in Australia.
The partners added that this collaboration marks a significant milestone in the Australian mining sector, advancing the deployment of OEM-agnostic autonomous haulage systems through retrofit technology. By integrating EACON’s autonomy solution into Norton Gold Fields and Thiess mining trucks, the project reflects a shared ambition to enhance safety, productivity, and sustainability across the industry.
The project is taking place at Norton Gold Fields’ open-pit gold mines in Western Australia. NGF, a wholly owned subsidiary of global mining group Zijin Mining, is playing a key role in the group’s broader strategy to introduce smart and sustainable technologies across its international portfolio.
The rollout will proceed in two phases. In the initial stage, EACON is deploying its autonomy solution on two Thiess Komatsu HD1500 trucks operating within Norton Gold Fields’ mining boundary. This phase will focus on validating both the Drive-by-Wire system and autonomous functionality under real-world mining conditions.
In the second phase, the project will scale to a fully autonomous haulage fleet operating within an active production pit, integrating seamlessly into day-to-day mining operations. The initial phase is scheduled to commence in the coming months, with full production trials targeted for early 2026.
