Mexican conractor CoMinVi orders Scooptram loaders, and Minetruck haulers for use in several mines in Mexico. (Photo: Epiroc)
Ivanhoe Mines subsidiary Ivanplats contracted Epiroc for battery-electric equipment for the greenfield Platreef mine in South Africa. The order exceeds $10.3 million, and the equipment will be delivered early in 2022.
Ivanplats ordered several Boomer M2 battery-powered face drill rigs and Scooptram ST14 battery-powered loaders.
The equipment will be trialed during the mine’s initial development phase, leadership at the miner said. “We want to be at the forefront of using battery electric, zero-emission equipment at all of our mining operations,” Ivanhoe Mines CFO Marna Cloete said. “This partnership with Epiroc for emissions-free mining equipment at the Platreef mine is an important first step toward achieving our net-zero carbon emissions goals while mining metals required for a cleaner environment.”
Epiroc will provide on-site operator and maintenance training.
Epiroc also reported it won an order for underground mining equipment from Mexican conractor CoMinVi for use in several mines in Mexico. The order is valued at $45 million, and includes Boomer face drilling rigs, Simba production drilling rigs, Boltec rock reinforcement rigs, Scooptram loaders, and Minetruck haulers.
The contractor said the equipment will deliver a competitive advantage. “It will ensure our ability to respond immediately to our potential customers by having the necessary resources that allow us to be one step ahead of our competition,” said Rafael Villagómez Contreras, CEO, CoMinVi. “This is a long-term relationship that will be supported with a high-level technical backup and a reliable supply.”
Epiroc will provide parts and an on-site maintenance supervisor.
Separately, Epiroc acquired Mining Tag S.A., a Chilean company that develops and implements sensor-based solutions that allow monitoring, automation and process improvement of underground mining operations.
Mining Tag’s proven solutions include MT OneMine for increased productivity, and MT Guardian for improved safety. Based in Santiago, Mining Tag, with 120 employees, is active in several countries in Latin America.
Epiroc said intelligent mining solutions, such as those offered by Mining Tag, are the future. “Together with the innovative team at Mining Tag, we will strengthen our smart digitalization offering to customers in Latin America and beyond,” Epiroc CEO Helena Hedblom said.
