Epiroc Extends Autonomous Haulage System to Aggregates Sector

Epiroc AB announced on June 4, 2026, that it has received an order from Heidelberg Materials to adapt and implement its autonomous haulage system, LinkOA, for driverless trucks at a quarry in Australia. This deployment marks an expansion of Epiroc's autonomous solutions into the aggregates sector, moving beyond its traditional mining focus.

The proof-of-concept project aims to demonstrate how automation can be applied in mid-scale quarry operations. These environments have historically presented challenges to automation adoption due to design variability and more complex operating conditions compared to standardized surface mining.

LinkOA is already in use at the world's largest OEM-agnostic fully autonomous mine, Roy Hill in Australia. Heidelberg Materials plans to operate approximately 30 autonomous vehicles this year and over 100 by the end of 2028. As part of the collaboration, Epiroc will deploy LinkOA for a portion of Heidelberg Materials' Komatsu HD605 haul trucks, which will interact with loaders and auxiliary vehicles at a Western Australia quarry.

Autonomous haulage offers proven benefits, including 24/7 operational capability, removal of personnel from hazardous zones, and a reduction in accidents related to human error and fatigue. Epiroc states that LinkOA utilizes advanced sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence to enhance situational awareness and enable real-time, data-driven decision-making across mixed fleets.

The project will focus on validating safe mixed-fleet operations, improving haulage efficiency, and ensuring system performance under varying conditions. Epiroc has previously applied LinkOA for autonomous drilling rigs in the quarry market.