Anglo American - TraxIQ Programme

Description

The next Yorkshire branch technical event will be a presentation on 'Rethinking Quarry Fleets: Energy, Autonomy and Modularity in Practice' by Luke Smith, TraxIQ Programme Director and James Percy-Hughes, TraxIQ Head of Operations. The session will explore how quarry haulage is evolving in response to rising energy costs, decarbonisation pressures, and advances in automation. Rather than focusing on a single technology or equipment solution, the presentation takes a system-level view — examining how modular fleets, energy-aligned vehicle design and practical electrification pathways can improve productivity while reducing emissions. Drawing on engineering, modelling and operational insights, the session will highlight how quarries can approach fleet transition in a staged and commercially realistic way, balancing performance, cost, and infrastructure constraints. The aim is to stimulate discussion around what is practical today, what is emerging, and how operators can make informed decisions as haulage systems transition toward more energy-efficient, autonomous, and lower-carbon futures. A little bit about the speakers: Luke Smith is an innovation leader with over two decades of experience delivering transformative technologies across the mining and quarrying industries. He is the originator of TraxIQ, a next-generation approach to haulage focused on modular fleets, energy efficiency, autonomy, and decarbonisation. His work centres on redesigning material movement systems to improve productivity, reduce energy intensity and enable practical pathways to electrification. Prior to TraxIQ, Luke led major technology and decarbonisation initiatives within global mining operations, developing system-level solutions that delivered measurable improvements in energy use, cost efficiency, and cycle performance. Today, he leads the evolution of the TraxIQ programme — applying engineering, modelling, and operational insight to shape commercially viable, future-ready haulage systems for quarries and mines worldwide James Percy-Hughes is a mining engineer with over 25 years of experience across mining and quarrying operations, technical services, and project delivery in a wide range of commodities and operating environments. He was part of the operational leadership team that delivered the world’s first hydrogen-powered ultra-class haul truck at a mine in South Africa, supporting its integration into live operations and demonstrating the practical role of alternative energy in heavy haulage. James now leads operational delivery and deployment activities within TraxIQ, working at the interface between engineering, site operations, and new technology implementation. His focus is on translating emerging haulage and energy concepts into safe, productive, and commercially viable solutions for real-world mining and quarry environments.

Venue

The Bridge Hotel and Spa, Walshford, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS22 5HS