Acron Group, a Russian vertically integrated mineral fertiliser producer, has introduced an autonomous logistics system at its Veliky Novgorod site. Eight unmanned electric trucks have been deployed to transport spare parts and materials between production and warehouse facilities along the company’s routes.
Implemented jointly with the Russian design company Evocargo, the project covers over 500 hectares of Acron’s site and incorporates a network of more than 50 loading and unloading points. Autonomous vehicles have been integrated into the company’s logistics processes, ensuring uninterrupted shipments and improving the predictability of internal deliveries, while cutting transportation costs by up to 35%.
The project contributes to the digitalisation of the process environment and the development of AI and robotics technologies at Acron Group companies.
Autonomous electric trucks operate without a driver, using AI and machine vision technologies to analyse route conditions in real time and ensure safe logistics on the site. This solution is based on the Robot as a Service (RaaS) model, which includes the use of autonomous vehicles, continuous route optimisation, software updates, technical support and logistics data analysis.
Denis Guzanov, CEO of Acron Digital (LLC IT Office): ‘For us, autonomous logistics is not just a standalone transport project; it is the next step in the digitalisation of the processes. Autonomous transport is becoming part of the company’s digital ecosystem, improving process resilience, safety and internal transportation control’.
Oleg Tikhonov, Acron’s Executive Director: ‘Autonomous transport enhances the predictability of logistics and the reliability of supplies to production sites, which directly impacts the efficiency of operations’.
Vasiliy Zhukov, Evocargo’s deputy CEO and Commercial Director: ‘For large industrial enterprises, it is particularly important that new technological solutions can operate at scale and in conjunction with production processes. At Acron, autonomous transport is integrated into the company’s continuous production cycle’.