PERTH, Australia – 9th January, 2026 – EACON Mining Technology has reached a significant project milestone in Australia, with a retrofitted Komatsu HD1500 haul truck commencing fully autonomous testing cycles without a safety driver at Norton Gold Fields' Mulgarrie Open-Pit Mine. The achievement is part of a tri-partite project between EACON, Thiess, and Norton Gold Fields, confirming the successful retrofit of autonomy on Komatsu trucks.
The truck, named Jerry, is a used Komatsu HD1500 with approximately 20,000 operating hours prior to the retrofit. Following a structured series of testing and validation activities, the truck has met the criteria to operate fully autonomously, demonstrating the maturity of EACON's complete autonomous driving system under Australian operating conditions.
Phase 1 of the project successfully validated the performance, stability, and safety of EACON's autonomous driving system on a retrofit haul truck platform.
The phase demonstrated reliable integration of EACON's independently developed drive-by-wire retrofit kit, consistent and responsive vehicle behaviour under autonomous control, and effective tuning of control algorithms to match the truck's native operating characteristics.
Comprehensive system-level validation was completed across perception, planning, decision-making, and vehicle control, confirming the system's readiness for continued on-site testing and subsequent project phases.
Elaine Jin, Chief Operating Officer of EACON Mining Australia, commented on how the milestone reflects disciplined execution and close collaboration across all project partners.
"EACON are proud to have reached this significant milestone, supported by the strong partnerships forged with Thiess and Norton Gold Fields. Achieving this milestone safely and on schedule validates the maturity of our ORCASTRA system, its adaptability to the Australian mining environment and its proven performance on large scale rigid dump trucks."
Ryan Kirkwood, Group Executive - Assets & Autonomy of Thiess, said that the global mining services provider was proud to work in partnership with EACON and Norton Gold Fields to demonstrate how autonomy could be introduced safely across mixed, brownfield fleets.
"Thiess has implemented, operated and optimised autonomous solutions for haulage fleets, dozer and drill applications globally for close to 15 years - we're pleased to bring our experience to this project to support change management and implementation processes, from commissioning through to successful maintenance with our workforce of the future."
Supporting fleet expansion and further validation activities, a second Komatsu HD1500 truck, Tom, has also recently completed retrofit works and has just been shipped to the Mulgarrie site.
Wei Lin, CEO of Norton Gold Fields, commented on the project's progress:
"This milestone demonstrates the potential for retrofit autonomous haulage to be safely introduced into active Australian gold mining operations. The project has progressed in a structured and measured way, with safety and operational readiness at the forefront."
By enabling autonomy across multiple vehicle brands and models, EACON's open, OEM-agnostic autonomy solution provides a practical pathway for upgrading existing mining fleets and facilitates the transition of autonomous haulage from greenfield deployments to scalable brownfield and retrofit operations.
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About EACON
Founded in 2018, EACON Mining focuses on delivering turnkey autonomous haulage solutions designed to optimise surface mining operations. Its flagship system, ORCASTRA®, is fully interoperable with OEM equipment and underpinned by a distributed architecture that supports flexible, high-performance deployment in demanding open-pit environments. In parallel, EACON develops emission-reducing powertrain solutions, offering hybrid-electric, battery-electric, and retrofitted autonomy options across off-highway OEM platforms-driving a safer, greener future for the mining industry.
About Thiess
Thiess partners with its clients to deliver sustainable solutions in open-cut and underground mining in Australia, Asia and the Americas. It operates across the mine lifecycle from engineering, mine planning and development, to asset management, extraction and haulage, and rehabilitation. Established in 1934, Thiess operates across diverse commodities, geologies, environments and cultures. As a global service provider, Thiess is uniquely placed to make a significant contribution to responsible, sustainable mining and a low-carbon future by working with clients, suppliers and the industry to enable the global energy transition.
About Norton Gold Fields
Norton Gold Fields, established in 1983, is a prominent Australian gold producer operating in the Kalgoorlie gold region of Western Australia. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Zijin Gold International, Norton oversees integrated open-pit and underground mining operations, including the Paddington Mill and the Binduli North Heap Leach Project. With substantial landholding across key gold belts and a strong focus on exploration, Norton is well-positioned to sustain long-term growth. Through operational excellence and continued investment, the company contributes meaningfully to the development of Australia's gold sector.
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