Leading gold and base metals producer Eldorado Gold Corporation has taken delivery of the first of two Sandvik TH550B battery-electric trucks at its Lamaque mine in Val-d’Or, Quebec. The 50-tonne BEV at Lamaque is the first Sandvik TH550B assembled and delivered in Canada from Sandvik’s factory in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The delivery is a major milestone in Eldorado Gold Corporation’s efforts to continuously improve sustainable mining practices at its Canadian mine. The company also has operations in Greece and Türkiye.
Sandvik TH550B has been designed from the ground up entirely around its battery systems and electric drivelines. It features Sandvik’s patented self-swapping battery system, including the AutoSwap and AutoConnect functions, improving equipment availability and safety. Sandvik offers the industry’s fastest BEV “pit stop,” enabling its equipment to return to operation significantly sooner than ‘fast-charge’ mining BEVs. Sandvik TH550B also features sophisticated data collection and analysis capabilities, enabling operators and maintenance personnel to monitor and optimize the truck’s performance in real time.
As part of its commitment to more sustainable mining, and with the expected success from first two BEV trucks, Eldorado Gold Corporation plans to build a larger electrified haulage fleet in the future. The delivery of the Sandvik TH550B trucks is a significant first step towards achieving this goal.