Epiroc, a leading productivity and sustainability partner for the mining and construction industries, has won a large order for underground mining trucks in Australia from global mining contractor Byrnecut.
Byrnecut, one of the world’s largest underground mining contractors, has ordered a fleet of Minetruck MT65 S haulers, the world’s highest payload underground truck in the field. The equipment will be used at the Kathleen Valley mine in Western Australia. The mine, where lithium as well as tantalum will be produced, is currently under development, with production targeted to begin in 2024. Lithium is a common mineral in electric vehicle batteries. Tantalum is used, among other things, for high-temperature applications such as in aircraft engines.
The equipment order is valued at about MSEK 130 and was booked in the third quarter 2023. Epiroc will also provide parts and service support, including service technicians on site.
“We are excited to contribute to the success of the new Kathleen Valley mine, where the production of lithium, especially, will support the acceleration of the transformation to a low-carbon society,” says Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO.
“The newly updated Epiroc Minetruck MT65 S is a top-of-the-line machine designed with a focus on safety, productivity, energy efficiency, and operator comfort,” says Sami Niiranen, President of Epiroc’s Underground division. “We look forward to continue working together with Byrnecut to make their mining operations successful.”
Epiroc and Byrnecut have a long-standing partnership, and the contractor already runs a fleet of Minetruck MT65 haulers at other mining sites. The ordered mining trucks have several advanced features, such as Epiroc’s telematics system Certiq, which allows for intelligent monitoring of machine performance and productivity in real-time. Delivery will begin soon and will continue in 2024 and 2025.