Sandvik reported it sold a fleet of 20 Sandvik loaders to Estonia’s Enefit Power, a subsidiary of state-owned energy group Eesti Energia. The order is for 16 Toro LH410 loaders and four Toro LH515i loaders that will be delivered starting in Q2 2023.
Enefit Power said its top considerations in the purchasing decision were efficiency and reducing environmental impact. “Several production processes run 24/7 at Enefit Power in order to supply our customers with raw materials, so we need machines that are reliable, productive, convenient and safer for employees to use, and that have a minimal impact on the environment,” said CEO Andres Vainola. “The new technology from Sandvik meets these criteria.”
The new equipment will partly replace an aging fleet. The Sandvik loaders offer 10- and 15-mt payload capacities. The LH515i is the newest i-series model in Sandvik’s diesel-powered loader fleet, introduced in 2021. The smaller LH410 loader recently benefitted from significant design upgrades, and it is fully comparable with Sandvik’s larger loaders in terms of intelligence, performance and reliability, Sandvik said.
Separately Sandvik reported it sold a fleet of 19 battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) to Rana Gruber for its iron ore operations in Stoforshei in northern Norway. The order includes five LH518B loaders, four DL422iE longhole drills, two DS412iE mechanical bolters, with two DD422iE jumbos, with delivery through 2024.
Rana Gruber adopted the fleet to, in part, help it achieve sustainability goals, the company said. “When we announced our 2025 goal in 2020, many did not believe it would be possible, but we’re taking another major step forward in partnering with Sandvik to implement a battery-electric fleet that will improve our work environment and reduce our operational costs,” said CEO Gunnar Moe. “Most importantly, BEVs will help us achieve our ambitious goals for carbon-free mining.”
Sandvik has supplied underground equipment to Rana Gruber for more than 25 years. The companies signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen their partnership in November 2021. Trans4Mine, Sandvik’s in-house consultancy, conducted studies and simulations to advise Rana Gruber on BEV fleet requirements, charging station locations and other mining cycle optimizations, resulting in a letter of intent in November 2022.
