Sandvik has received a major order from the Canadian mining company Torex Gold Resources to supply a 35-unit mining equipment fleet for its Media Luna project in Mexico.
The order, which includes 15 battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), and 20 conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) equipment units, is valued at approximately $63 million and will be booked in the first quarter 2023, the company wrote in a statement.
The order is Sandvik’s first for BEVs in Latin America and its third-largest battery-electric mining fleet order to date, the statement noted.
Equipment deliveries are planned to begin in the third quarter of 2023 and continue into the fourth quarter of 2025 Sandvik said while adding the BEVs include loaders and twin-boom jumbos, and the conventional equipment ordered comprises loaders, trucks, bolters, production drills, and a raise borer.
Commenting on the development, Stefan Widing, CEO and president of Sandvik, “We continue to see a high interest in our battery-electric offering, and this order also shows how we can help customers on the transition to more sustainable mining with our strong total offering of high performing equipment and services.”
Torex expects to bring Media Luna into commercial production in early 2025, ramping up to 7,500 metric tonnes per day by 2027 and creating one of Mexico’s largest underground mines.
Torex is implementing battery-electric production equipment at Media Luna as part of a wider decarbonisation strategy.
As per Mats Eriksson president of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, “This milestone order demonstrates that both BEVs and conventional ICE mining equipment can not only coexist in today’s underground mine but deliver value in different circumstances and applications. We are proud to support Torex on its journey to operate a world-class mine with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.”