Sandvik bringing battery-swap mining rigs to Eldorado Gold mine

Canadian mining firm Eldorado Gold is taking a big step towards decarbonizing its operations with a fresh order for ten fully electric equipment assets from the experts at Sandvik set to be deployed later this year.

Placed just before the Christmas break, the SEK 160 million (approx. $17 million USD) order from Eldorado gold follows its initial order of two battery electric Sandvik haul trucks last year – and the company has apparently been happy enough with the trucks’ performance to grow its electric fleet from two units to twelve.

“Sandvik BEVs have proven their capability underground at Lamaque, and this order confirms the strength of our battery-electric offering,” explains Mats Eriksson, President of business area Mining at Sandvik. “We are proud to expand our partnership with Eldorado Gold and support their strategy to strengthen efficiency, safety and sustainability in their mining operations.”

Eldorado Gold plans to deploy the new trucks at the company’s Lamaque gold mine in Val-d’Or, Québec beginning in 2026, with the last few units arriving early 2027.

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Sandvik electric equipment

While the official release doesn’t specify what vehicles Eldorado Gold is specifically buying, my money’s on Sandvik’s massive TH550B electric haul truck (shown, at top).

That truck offers mine operators a robust 50,000 kg payload capacity (~110,000 lbs.), making it more thab capable of matching the performance of similarly sized diesel truck options but without the noise, fumes, and vibrations of diesel that endanger mine workers.

The TH550B is built around a substantial 354 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4, or LFP) battery pack good for several hours of sustained operation under heavy load, and capable of using Sandvik’s rapid AutoSwap battery-swapping technology for quick battery changes to maximize uptime and maintain productivity across long or back-to-back shifts.

Electrek’s Take

A while back, we devoted an entire episode to the idea that the cleaner the mining industry tries to become, the more equipment it needs — and that equipment, in turn, drives even greater demand for the very mines supplying its raw materials. Battery-electric haul trucks like Sandvik’s are a clear example of that self-propagating feedback loop.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Sandvik.

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