UNDERGROUND LOAD AND HAUL options across both loading and hauling, while continuing to highlight the trade-offs between emissions, productivity, reliability and cost at our required equipment sizes.”
At The Electric Mine 2024, Byrnecut and Sandvik announced they would collaborate to develop new diesel-electric mining equipment – underground loaders and trucks featuring electric drivetrains – with the aim to boost sustainability, efficiency and productivity underground.
The XE factor
Speaking of diesel-electric vehicles, the PT Freeport Indonesia-operated Grasberg copper-gold underground mining complex recently took delivery of its 15th dieselelectric drive Caterpillar R2900 XE loader from Indonesian Cat dealer Trakindo.
Laurentius Andika, Caterpillar Senior Technical Service Representative for Underground Mining, stated:“ The continued trust from PT Freeport Indonesia demonstrates how the R2900 XE LHD has become one of the key assets in supporting underground operations as the front line of productivity, efficiency and sustainability.” The R2900 XE remains the first Cat diesel-electric underground LHD. The OEM states:“ It’ s a productive, powerful, reliable machine built to meet the underground mining industry’ s need for bigger payloads, faster loading and reduced emissions. Its powerful diesel-electric drive engine comes in either US EPA Tier 2, EU Stage
The R2900 XE is highly productive, with smooth and quick machine responses combined with improved digging and tramming performance, Caterpillar says
IIIa-equivalent or EU Stage V, and it offers the power to match its class-leading 18.5 t payload. The R2900 XE is highly productive, with smooth and quick machine responses combined with improved digging and tramming performance.”
The machine’ s high-efficiency SR electric drive system replaces a mechanical transmission to deliver improved power and faster cycle times.
A recent update to the R2900 XE platform has led to the availability of the Durilock™ Extreme Retention( DXR) Lip Shroud system, which is designed to boost productivity, simplify maintenance and adapt to a range of underground mining applications.
Over in Africa, DRC Caterpillar dealer Congo Equipment, in March this year, reached a historic milestone with the very first delivery of AD63( truck) and R2900 XE underground machines to one of its mining clients, which it said was a major achievement confirming the trust placed in its expertise and its role as a leading partner in the DRC. The overall fleet included four new R2900 XEs and four AD63 underground mining trucks for this customer, with the seventh and final unit delivered in May 2026.
The popularity of the R2900 XE is no accident as, to many underground operators
International Mining | JULY 2026 13