The Eikefet Quarry, located in the picturesque mountains of western Norway, is a leader in the European aggregate industry, combining historic significance with cutting-edge technologies like autonomous machinery and artificial intelligence (AI). Owned by Belgium-based De Cloedt Group, and Hülskens in Germany, this quarry has been operational since the 70s, evolving from traditional methods into a forward-thinking, technology-driven site.
Producing over 1.5 million tonnes of aggregates annually, Eikefet Quarry is one of Norway's largest aggregate suppliers. Its materials are critical for European construction and road-building projects, with exports shipped directly to central Europe via sea freight.
Beyond construction, the quarry plays a pivotal role in the North Sea offshore industry, where specialized aggregates are used to cover and secure pipelines and stabilize seabed installations. These high-demand materials are essential for maintaining Europe’s vital energy infrastructure.
Once blasted and loaded, the rock is transported downhill and deposited into a massive vertical shaft blasted into the into the mountain. Acting as a natural buffer, this shaft feeds materials directly into the primary gyratory crusher located inside the mountain.
This innovative design reduces reliance on energy-intensive conveyor systems and maximizes the use of gravity-assisted hauling, further cutting down on fuel consumption, wear & tear and operational costs. The seamless flow of materials provides flexibility and also ensures a steady supply for crushing and subsequent processing.
Eikefet Quarry is the worlds most innovative quarry, leading the charge in adopting autonomous machinery and AI-driven solutions to improve efficiency and sustainability. The site integrates cutting-edge technologies to optimize operations at every level:
Blasts are planned and drilled using GNSS enabled drilling rigs. The CAT 988K XE wheel loader and Volvo EC950 excavator also features precision controls and systems to improve productivity. This reduces waste and ensures the highest quality of aggregates is extracted at an optimal rate.
The fleet of Caterpillar 772G trucks is equipped with advanced automation technologies, reducing the need for human drivers. These trucks work seamlessly to transport rock downhill to the processing facility, improving safety and productivity.
Data from sensors and machinery is captured in real-time, predicting maintenance needs, enhancing fuel efficiency, and optimizing the quarry’s overall workflow. This ensures minimal downtime and maximum productivity.
The integration of these advanced technologies enables Eikefet Quarry to achieve higher output with fewer resources, aligning with the industry's growing focus on sustainable and autonomous operations.
Steer Autonomous was designed from the start to cater for the requirements in small and medium quarries and mines. Quarry operations in particular usually have relatively few trucks of mixed brands while also offering thinner margins compared to the mining industry. Steer Autonomous addresses all of this in the sense that Steer Autonomous is:
Steer is the proven industry leader in automating aggregate haulage, revolutionizing operations by eliminating the need for a dedicated operations room and supervisor.
Excavator operators not only fuel and load the trucks but also oversee the fleet of autonomous trucks, enabling highly efficient use of personnel and significant cost savings on salaries. A single operator manages the loading and hauling of nearly 700 tonnes of rock per hour.
For larger-scale operations involving more than five trucks, setting up an operations room to monitor equipment and production is typically recommended for optimal oversight.
Eikefet was the first quarry in the world to deploy autonomous trucks for quarry production. It proved to be a very challenging and also very valuable testing ground for Steer.
We have been fighting against;
Frost, Ice, Snow, Hail, Rain, Sun, Fog & Dust - Eikefet has it all. Sometimes we have 4 seasons in one day. Hardware and software have been optimized over many years to ensure safe and efficient operation in virtually any weather condition. Whenever visibility is reduced to a minimum, sensors are adjusted accordingly and the trucks operate at reduced speed to ensure safe operation.
Some parts of the quarry has limited GNSS coverage at times, despite using GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo and more. This is due to very tall and steep rock walls preventing signals. This issue was solved by using IMU/INS instrumentation and Kalman filtering to provide an approximate location of trucks when GNSS coverage drops out. The solution enable trucks to drive 5-10 seconds in a GNSS denied environments, such as near rock walls, under bridges and in short culverts and tunnels.
Eikefet is remotely located deep in the western fjords in Norway. Mobile coverage is flaky - just the way it is in a majority of quarries and mines. In order to ensure robust and rugged connectivity with low latency between machines, Steer utilizes advanced WAN smoothing equipment in each machine with multiple redundant connections to different cellular providers. This ensures virtually no downtime and no handover problems when trucks travel to different coverage areas in the quarry. Network communication is secured by using military grade encryption and VPN solutions.
Varying road conditions and harsh weather initially led to short component life for cameras, lidars and antennas. Through working with manufacturers and also developing in-house dampening solutions and connectors, this is now a problem of the past. People talk about Military Spec being the gold standard for ruggedness. This actually pales compared to Quarry Spec - the main difference being that military equipment is actually sometimes maintained and cared for. The life of components in a quarry is usually way tougher than in the military.
Eikefet Quarry is currently working on plans to triple production, starting in 2027/2028. Autonomous solutions from Steer will play a vital role in reaching this goal in a cost effective and safe manner. Trucks will most likely be upgraded to Caterpillar 775G or Komatsu HD605-10 - each having a payload capacity of around 70 tons. Loading excavators will also be upgraded to a Komatsu PC1250 or CAT 6015B. Hydraulic mining shovels are preferred over wheel loaders since they reduce the loading time by over 40%.
There are also plans to upgrade and renew the crushing operation, possibly with gyro and cone crushers from Metso in Finland.
As far as Steer Equipment goes - it will simply be moved from todays equipment to new equipment, with a few upgrades where it is appropriate. Steer is OEM Neutral, supporting machines from Caterpillar, Komatsu, Liebherr, Hitachi, Bell, Volvo, Doosan, Kobelco, Sany, XCMG and more.
Yearly aggregate production: 1.5 million tons
Weekly production requirement: 30.000 tons
Hourly production: 600+ tons
Yearly aggregate production: 1.5 million tons
CE
European Machine Directive
ISO 17757
ISO 13849
Fully redundant steering, braking, computing & network
Autonomous Accidents/Incidents: 0
Supervisors / Managers needed: 0
Onboarding period for new loader operators: 1-2 days
Remote Support: Done from Steer in Oslo
Machines: 3 x CAT 772G, 1 x CAT 988K XE, 1 x Volvo 950F, 1 x CAT 395
Machines: 3 x CAT 772G, 1 x CAT 988K XE, 1 x Volvo 950F, 1 x CAT 395
Network topology: P2P discovery and communication between all machines
Salary savings: Substantial
Fuel savings: 3%
Increased tyre lifespan: 25-30%
