IM 2020 April 20 | Page 42

MINING TRUCKS the E series is set for launch which will share more of the R100E architecture. As the R60E and R70E are introduced, the D series versions will be scaled back. BELAZ reflects on a busy 2019 In 2019, 849 units of BELAZ equipment were sold: 796 units of mining dump trucks, 9 units of underground vehicles and 44 units of special- purpose equipment. The total export volume exceeded $727 million and according to this indicator 2019 can be included in the top five most successful years in the history of the company. The leading position in the total volume of shipments went to three truck classes: 110-130 t – 27%, 220-240 t – 24% and 45 t – 13%. The overall share of these classes of payload capacity made up 64% overall. The best-selling single model of mining dump truck on the global market is the BELAZ 75131 which accounts for 23% of the total sales of equipment. The main sales market for company is still the Russian Federation at 593 units sold in 2019 for over $550 million. BELAZ says it offers consumers not only a competitive product, but also flexible pricing, attractive delivery terms and a two-year extended warranty, plus the possibility of procuring machines through leasing and outsourcing. The company does have autonomous trucks running in Russia at SUEK coal operations that have been equipped by Zyfra Mining (VIST Group) of which more is outlined in the standalone article this month on independent autonomy providers. Looking in more detail at the home Russian market and the wider CIS market, sales include a new fleet of 180 t trucks to Eurochem’s Kovdorsky GOK in Murmansk region to replace the older fleet; plus six units of BELAZ 75180 mining dump trucks of 180 t dispatched to Apatit JSC’s Vostochny mine, which is a payload class scale up for that operation. The BELAZ 75313 mining dump truck of 240 t payload capacity is also a new model for the fleet operated by EVRAZ while the BELAZ 75307 mining dump truck of 220 t class was a new addition for SSGPO in Kazakhstan and Sibanthracite in Russia. A batch of BELAZ 76135 water-sprinkling vehicles with a tank volume of 119 m 3 has also been dispatched to Ukraine. Going further afield, the second batch of haul trucks of 136 t class, the BELAZ 75137, was recently shipped to India. The shipment included eight trucks and followed the first batch that was shipped to India in January 2020. The vehicles are part of a major contract for the delivery of 77 haul trucks. BELAZ and Coal India signed the contract in October 2019. The construction of a maintenance centre for BELAZ trucks continues in the immediate vicinity of the Gevra coal mine near Korba, where the haul trucks will be used, and buildings are already nearing completion. According to the agreements with Coal India, 40 International Mining | APRIL 2020 BELAZ will supply It was another good year for BELAZ in spare parts and 2019, shipping no less than 796 mining trucks of which 593 were bound for the provide eight years Russian market of maintenance services. Looking at the wider market, haul trucks of the 7513 series like the Indian 75137 units remain popular with mining companies all over the world. Staying in Asia, BELAZ successfully works in Indonesian market and over the past four Mongolia North Hauler (NHL) last year delivered years, more than 50 dump trucks with a carrying 30 units of its 236 t class electric drive NTE240 capacity of 110-130 t have been shipped there and model and 20 units of the mechanical drive 91 t have coped well in the often challenging climatic TR100A model to Mongolia’s Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi conditions. In the Mongolian market BELAZ this (ETT) site. And it is going to deliver more trucks year will supply to Mongolian partners at least 40- there this year, though currently shipments 50 units of equipment with a carrying capacity of around China for NHL and others are severely 110-130 t, as well as possibly heavier 220 t restricted due to the COVID-19 virus situation. machines. A year ago 130 t BELAZ trucks were In November 2019, China’s latest large mining delivered to the Vietnam market for the first time truck model, the 240 t payload CR240E with and are also showing good results and very high electric drive from CRRC Datong in Shanxi availability based on the results of operation. Province, started industrial tests in the Qidashan Moving to Latin America and two years ago Iron Deposit of Ansteel Group Mining Co Ltd. The BELAZ registered a subsidiary in Chile, and last initial testing program includes the half-load test, year, after an eight year break, made the first routine test, heavy-duty test and so on, which is deliveries of the 90 t BELAZ 75581 dump trucks to expected to last for one year. This version of the the country so potential customers in Peru, truck rolled off the line at CRRC Datong in June Argentina, Bolivia and elsewhere can now see 2019, though an earlier version was produced by these trucks performing well in their own region. CRRC in Beijing back in 2017. Of course, this market has its own requirements: it The model was independently developed by requires vehicles adapted to the difficult CRRC Datong Electric Locomotive Co Ltd. The core conditions of mines located at an altitude of 3,500 components and key technologies have been m and above. domestically produced. The company says it has BELAZ has developed a program for the active adopted advanced dual fuel engine technology distribution of its 90 t dump trucks to the global and a reliable electric drive system. The truck has market and in five years is aiming to reach 20% of a maximum speed of 57 km/h. The specifications the market in this class of truck from the current from CRRC for the truck show it having the option figure of 6.3%. The innovative 90 t BELAZ 7558 was the first electric drive truck in this class, being equipped with an AC electric drive, which has proved its competitiveness in the mines of Russia and other countries such as Uzbekistan and Bosnia. The Chinese market As usual IM caught up with some key players in the Chinese mining truck market, and this issue also includes an in-depth standalone article on Xiangtan-based XEMC based on a 2019 visit. Talking about other players there have been more interesting developments. Market leader Inner The new 240 t payload CR240E with electric drive from CRRC Datong in Shanxi Province