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Three water trucks, developed through a successful collaboration with the leading equipment manufacturer, Caterpillar, will join Gudai-Darri's fleet of Caterpillar heavy mobile equipment, including autonomous haul trucks and production drills.

The vehicle's smart onboard system detects the dry and dusty condition on-site, triggering the application of water to roads to keep them in good condition.

The refilling method is also fully automated, with the water trucks recognising when it is time to refill, prompting them to self-drive to the water stand, park and top-up before returning to the field. They boast a 160,000-litre tank capacity, a 33% rise on Rio Tinto's largest water truck with a tank capacity of 120,000-litres.

The water trucks will be integrated into Rio Tinto's existing Autonomous Haulage System once deployed, which has significantly improved safety by reducing the risks associated with operators working around heavy machinery.

Simon Trott, Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive, told the media that they had worked closely with Caterpillar to safely and successfully deploy the world's first fully autonomous water truck. He added that water spraying is a vital part of mining operations, and this new technology would enhance productivity and reduce water usage across their operations.

Gudai-Darri is located approximately 35 km north-west of Rio Tinto's Yandicoogina mine site 110 km from the town of Newman in the Pilbara region of Western Australia is 100% owned by Rio Tinto.

The construction continues to progress, with production ramp-up on track for early 2022. The mine is going to have an annual capacity of 43 million tonnes (mt) once complete, underpinning the production of the Pilbara Blend, Rio Tinto's flagship iron ore product.

Caterpillar was founded in 1925 and is an industry-leading construction and mining equipment manufacturer, diesel and natural gas engines, gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. Caterpillar and Rio Tinto's relationship extends over 50 years.