Swedish equipment manufacturer Sandvik has scored a record order for electric mining equipment at South32’s greenfield Hermosa critical minerals project in Arizona – the deal is being valued at over $100 million.
South32’s massive equipment order goes beyond the typical battery electric haul trucks we’ve gotten used to – and includes cable bolters, loaders and longhole drills. These are the first such assets deployed in the US, following a pair of fully autonomous Toro LH518iB battery-electric underground loaders deployed at the New Gold Inc. ($NGD) New Afton mine in British Columbia, Canada, late last year.
“We’re proud that Sandvik BEVs will help contribute to an increased supply of critical minerals, supporting the continued electrification of society,” says Mats Eriksson, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions. “Lower fuel expenses and maintenance costs coupled with longer equipment lifespan will enable a more efficient, economical and sustainable mining operation at Hermosa.”
The Hermosa project is currently the only mine that could produce two federally designated critical minerals — manganese and zinc – in the United States. Australian-based multinational South32 is developing Hermosa’s zinc-lead-silver deposit to be a multi-decade operation with its first products expected in 2027.
Sandvik says deliveries are expected to begin in 2026, and continue through 2030, with most of the deliveries projected by 2027.
Electrek’s Take
From drilling and rigging to heavy haul solutions, companies like Sandvik are proving that electric equipment is more than up to the task of moving dirt and pulling stuff out of the ground. At the same time, rising demand for nickel, lithium, and phosphates combined with the natural benefits of electrification are driving the adoption of electric mining machines while a persistent operator shortage is boosting demand for autonomous tech in those machines.
The combined factors listed above are rapidly accelerating the rate at which machines that are already in service are becoming obsolete – and, while some companies are exploring the cost/benefit of converting existing vehicles to electric, the general consensus seems to be that more companies will be be buying more new equipment more often in the years ahead – and more of that equipment will be more and more likely to be autonomous as time goes on.
We covered the market outlook for autonomous and electric mining equipment last summer, and I posted an episode exploring the growing demand for electric equipment on an episode of Quick Charge I’ve embedded, below. Check it out, then let us know what you think of the future of electric mining in the comments.
More EVs means more mines
SOURCE | IMAGES: Sandvik, via PR Newswire.
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