MINING TRUCKS
than those not connected to a dynamic power transfer system – even when hauling a full payload uphill – which will increase the productivity of haulage fleets. However, reaching these speeds will depend on how the system is to be used. Things like the inclination of the haul road and whether the system is used for charging or propulsion will impact the speeds that vehicles can reach while connected to Liebherr Power Rail.
To further optimise productivity, Liebherr Power Rail will be compatible with Liebherr’ s Trolley Navigation Assist system. This is a semi-autonomous system that extends and retracts the current collector so trucks are connected to Liebherr Power Rail for the longest possible time, helping users to get the maximum benefit out of the dynamic power transfer.“ Our Assistance Systems will ensure a constant connection between the current collector and the rail. This connection will help to minimise stress on operators by automating the connection and disconnection process, while preventing damage to the truck and to the Liebherr Power Rail system as a whole.”
The current collector will provide 2.6 m of lateral freedom, which means operators can avoid obstacles on haul roads while staying connected to the system’ s current conducting rail profile.
On top of all of this, the sliders on the current collector will be able to be easily changed from ground level without needing the specialised scaffolding or lifts required when working on pantographs in traditional trolley. The current collectors will have a‘ maintenance mode’ built into their logic that moves the sliders to an ergonomic height so they can be quickly changed out. This will help to minimise downtime by reducing the amount time needed to remove or service these components – which will come in handy as the sliders will be the highest wear item in the entire system as they will be in constant contact with the electrified rail.
Cummins on cutting-edge mining retrofits
As miners expand and upgrade their fleets with the latest surface haulage technology, they can be confident these investments will serve their operations well for decades to come, in part due to emerging retrofit options.
Cummins has made several announcements in recent months regarding two distinct progressive decarbonisation pathways- electrification and clean fuels- with hybrid and dual fuel retrofit kits powering meaningful progress. The clean fuels developments are discussed in this issue’ s Fuels & Oils report.
Hybrid haul trucks leverage a combination of internal combustion engines and battery architecture, delivering design flexibility suited for various haul truck applications. This combination not only retains the reliability and operational familiarity that end users depend on but also brings performance, emissions and cost improvements.
By leveraging battery power during lowdemand periods and regenerative braking to capture, store and redeploy energy, operators can expect hybrid electric vehicles( HEVs) to reduce fuel consumption- and associated carbon emissions- by 15-30 %, dependent on mine profile. This also reduces strain on the engine and related components, reducing maintenance events and extending the engine’ s operating life.
While Cummins announced its first-fit hybrid pilot program with NHL in 2024, the company’ s acquisition of First Mode assets in February 2025 brought additional hybrid capabilities specifically in the retrofit space.
At The Electric Mine 2025 conference in Santiago, Chile, Cummins announced the upcoming deployment of the world’ s first global OEM has deployed the 221 t payload EH4000AC-3 diesel-electric mining truck and 260 t( 19.5 m 3 bucket) EX2600-7 mining excavator at Anglo American’ s Minas Rio iron ore mining operation in the state of Minas Gerais.
This is significant as this is the first Hitachi mining dump truck to operate in Brazil. Marubeni Brazil, the HCM dealer, sold the machines to R & D Mineração & Construção Ltda, a contractor, and R & D has operated them since 2024, based on the contract they signed with Anglo American.
HCM estimates that Latin America accounts for 23 % of the world’ s demand for rigid dump trucks and 9 % of the demand for super-large hydraulic excavators. due to the abundance of mineral resource mining in that market, including copper, iron ore, and gold. Many of Hitachi Construction Machinery’ s super-large hydraulic excavators are in operation in Brazil.
In addition to the increase in new machinery sales, the parts and service business is expected to expand based on the volume of new machinery delivered to date.
A model of the Cummins HEV retrofit for the Komatsu 930E on display at The Electric Mine 2025 in Chile
HEV retrofits of Komatsu 930E-4 mining trucks. Pilots will deploy with two Chilean mining customers yet this year, marking the first of many pilots planned throughout North and Latin America in 2025-2026.
Retrofitting the large installed base of mining trucks with hybrid and clean fuel technologies represent a critical and cost-effective step towards decarbonising the mining sector, delivering immediate emissions reductions and supporting longterm operational sustainability with minimal impact on mine design.
Hitachi’ s first mining trucks in Brazil at Minas Rio
In a major development for Hitachi Construction Machinery( HCM) in Brazil; the
HCM is taking major steps to strengthen its business structure in Latin America. ZAMine Brasil, a sales and service company of mining equipment for Hitachi Construction Machinery, held an opening ceremony on March 12 to celebrate starting its operations. The company was jointly established in Brazil by Hitachi Construction Machinery and Marubeni. Assets( service parts and tools, moving vehicles, etc) and employees of the mining machinery division of Marubeni Brasil mentioned aboves are scheduled to be transferred to the new company, which is being led by Kentaro Goto, President and Executive Officer.
ZAMine Brasil began full-scale operations in March 2025 to expand the mining business in the Brazilian market
12 International Mining | JULY 2025