Volvo Autonomous Solutions has entered into a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Jokkmokk Iron Mines AB, marking V.A.S. says an important step towards advancing autonomous mining solutions in harsh climate conditions north of the Arctic Circle.

A key focus of the collaboration is to explore downsized and purpose-built vehicle solutions tailored to Jokkmokk Iron’s planned greenfield development in Norrbotten, Sweden. By planning for autonomous hauling from the outset, the project aims to enable safer operations, improved consistency, and more efficient use of equipment and infrastructure.

V.A.S. stated: “From day one, autonomy allows for a more structured and data-driven operational setup, including optimised haulage routes, reduced idle time, and predictable performance across seasons and conditions. Together, we will assess deployment strategies, operating models, and how autonomous systems can support a reduced operational footprint through optimised fleet size, infrastructure design, and resource utilisation.”

Jokkmokk Iron Mines is developing the Kallak/Gállok iron ore project, which is located about 40 kilometres west of Jokkmokk in Norrbotten County in northern Sweden. Kallak/Gállok has the potential to produce one of the most high-grade iron ore concentrates in the world, which would make it an important raw material for the green steel industry. The Kallak Norra deposit is estimated to contain 136 Mt of iron mineralisation with an iron content of 28%. Jokkmokk Iron plans to produce up to 2.8 Mt of iron ore concentrate per year.

The key V.A.S. technnology is Autona / earth, a “complete solution purpose-built for rough operational environments. Through real-world commercial application, we have refined and optimised the Volvo Virtual Driver for demanding mining and quarrying applications. By implementing autonomy with our transport-as-a-service (TaaS) solution, you get the benefits of autonomy without taking the higher risk of implementing it yourself.”