HIGH PROFILE
IM Editorial Director, Paul Moore with a huge
TYHI WK-55 shovel during the factory visit in
Taiyuan; the unit was bound for Julong Copper
in Chinese Tibet, where it will operate at over
5,300 m above sea level
Truly global customer base
Talk of Taiyuan
Paul Moore travelled to the city of Taiyuan in Shanxi
Province to get a unique insight into TYHI, China’s market
leader in electric mining shovels as well as an
increasingly important global player in this market
aiyuan Heavy Industry, or TYHI as it is often
shortened to, is by far China’s leading
supplier of large electric rope shovels for
mining, with the company also having the main
corporate brand of TZ, which is short for Taizhong,
and the shovels themselves sold under the WK
model name. TYHI is state owned and has sold
over 1,300 shovels to the mining industry and has
over 90% of the market share in China. It is
therefore firmly one of the world’s big four in
mining rope shovels along with Caterpillar,
Komatsu and IZ-Kartex/Uralmash.
It is most famous for mining shovels but also
supplies semi and fully mobile crushing stations
for mining as well as spreaders, transport
crawlers and hydraulic excavators. For
underground mining it produces longwall
shearers, hydraulic roof supports and
roadheaders (see box). This is aside from its huge
range of equipment for the rail, marine,
aerospace, chemical and numerous other
industries.
Based in Taiyuan, the capital and
largest city of Shanxi province in northern
China, the current TYHI was established in
1998 but was previously known as
Taiyuan Heavy Machinery Plant which was
founded in 1950. Since then there have
been many milestones, from the first 4 m 3
electric shovel to be made in China in
1961, the first dragline to be made in
China in 1965 to the development of the
T
22 International Mining | NOVEMBER 2019
world’s largest mining shovel, the WK-75, in 2012,
weighing in at over 2,000 t with a bucket capacity
of 135 t. This is still operating with coal miner
Inner Mongolia Datang Xilinhaote Mining Co.
Other notable developments in TYHI’s history
include a joint venture with P&H (now part of
Komatsu) from 1983 to 1986 for production and
supply of the 2300 shovel in the Chinese market.
In 2013 TYHI produced its largest hydraulic
excavator, the 22 m 3 WYD390, following its
successful WYD260 machine with 15 m 3 bucket.
The company is actively working on 35 m 3
(WYD600) and 45 m 3 (WYD800) hydraulic
excavators, the latter which would put it on a par
with Komatsu’s PC8000 (42 m 3 ) but just short of
Caterpillar’s 6090 (52 m 3 ).
China’s first 4 m 3 shovel built back in 1961
(left); a 2300 shovel produced under the 1980s
joint venture with P&H (right)
The company really stands out with its success
outside of China, making it arguably the most
successful Chinese mining equipment supplier in
the export market. And the fact that its customer
list includes the most famous names in mining
shows the mark of acceptance of its products at a
high level.
This includes no less than 11 WK-35 and 12 WK-
20 machines now operating in Russia with Polyus
Gold, coal miner KRU and most recent customer
Metalloinvest at Lebedinsky GOK iron ore mine;
six WK-20 and four WK-12 in India with customers
including Coal India’s Central and Northern
Coalfields divisions as well as iron ore miners, a
WK-55 for BHP in Chile at the Cerro Colorado
copper mine, six other sets of WK12 machines in
South America at Shougang Iron in Peru, in South
Africa a WK-55 at Anglo American’s Mogalakwena
platinum mine and four WK-35 units (first
delivered in 2013) at Exxaro Coal’s Grootegeluk
operation. Elsewhere it has WK-12 shovels in
Liberia (iron ore), Iran (ICICO copper mine),
Mongolia (coal) and smaller WK-4s in Myanmar,
Pakistan and elsewhere.
This global presence means the company has
also had to expand its network. As an example
TYHI has its own office in Iquique, Chile and spare
parts warehouse at Shougang Iron’s mining
operations. It also has its own direct subsidiary in
India, located in Delhi; and in Indonesia, located
in Jakarta. Elsewhere the company has been
working with dealers, such as VR Steel in South
Africa, and a dealer in Russia but told IM that
overall its strategy is to establish a direct
presence once it gains a market foothold.
Its customers in China are numerous including
the stand out customer Julong Copper in Chinese
Tibet, famous for having operations at 5,300 m
and well above. It operates three WK-12s, three
WK-35s and one WK-45 with a huge WK-55 (see
picture) ready for shipment from Taiyuan when IM
visited the factory. Other Chinese customers