Whitehaven previously announced plans to operate an autonomous fleet at its open Maules Creek coal mine in northern New South Wales.

The collaboration entails scoping the delivery and commissioning of phased AHS deployment for the fleet of Hitachi EH5000AC3 trucks to Maules Creek and establishing the physical and technological infrastructure to support AHS.

Hitachi's previous foray into autonomous haulage was at Stanwell Corporation's Meandu coal mine in Queensland.

There three EH5000 trucks fitted with autonomous haulage technology moved about their own part of the pit and shifted about 330,000 bank cubic metres of earth to aid with rehabilitation operations.

The Meandu trial ended in December.

The Hitachi AHS makes use of the Wenco mine Dynam...