WORLD PROSPECTS
Thiess Group Executive Chair & CEO, Michael Wright, said:“ We know first-hand the asset challenges our clients are facing, with pressure on reducing capital investment, increasing equipment lifecycles, a reduction in industry capability and ongoing challenges in getting the right technical expertise. When overlayed with a broader expectation of reducing emissions and decarbonisation, the asset strategy and execution is absolutely critical to any mining company.
“ Within our own business, we’ ve done the hard yards laying the foundation for safer, smarter and more sustainable asset services – while driving down the total cost of ownership. And we’ re excited that we can now offer this expertise to our clients as a standalone service.”
Thiess Asset Services will provide wholeof-life asset solutions, including preventative maintenance, machine and component rebuilds, composite carbon fibre repairs and reinforcement, fleet management, equipment hire and energy transition services.
Thiess Group Executive Assets & Autonomy, Ryan Kirkwood, said:“ We’ re bringing a unique offering to market, backed by decades of expertise and strategic partnerships, that enables us to deliver innovative solutions to enhance efficiency and lower costs, drive decarbonisation, and therefore create value for our clients.
“ This includes our partnership with Mechatronix, which uses a lightweight carbon-fibre reinforcement to strengthen rebuilds, helping to boost asset lifespan and reduce downtime, and our partnership with EACON to trial OEM-agnostic autonomous solutions, with a view to reducing capital expenditure barriers to autonomous haulage by providing a cost-efficient conversion of conventional fleet to full autonomy.”
Thiess Asset Services will provide tailored solutions to suit every client, budget and
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location, allowing asset owners to scale capabilities up or down as needed.
Thiess will leverage its global network of machine and component rebuild centres to provide comprehensive machine rebuild solutions and proven alternatives to extend machine life and reliability; and it is working to bring fleet decarbonisation options to the market, including retrofittable agnostic mining technology and hybrid and dual fuel solutions.
www. thiess. com
Orica bringing‘ whole-systems engineering’ to battery-electric MMUs
Orica is exploring the development of a Battery Electric Vehicle( BEV) Mobile Manufacturing Unit™( MMU™) for delivering explosives in blasting areas, saying the initiative targets a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to cleaner and more sustainable mining and civil operations.
The development of this electrified MMU not only aligns with Orica’ s ambition to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050; it also supports its customers in achieving their own ESG goals, including the transition from Internal Combustion Engine( ICE) MMU fleets to BEV fleets in the coming years.
The initiative also includes preparing onsite infrastructure for charging stations, which will also support auxiliary equipment such as light vehicles, magazine trucks, stemming trucks and forklifts.
Orica says its approach to the introduction of BEVs in the mining industry is comprehensive.“ We understand the shift towards BEVs is driven by the increasing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions in the mining industry,” it says.“ Operators are seeking alternatives to traditional ICE vehicles to reduce their carbon footprint and comply with stricter environmental regulations.”
The competitive nature of the mining industry necessitates innovation and adaptation, according to Orica, saying that, as an industry leader in technology and innovation, its focus is on addressing safety, regulatory and operational challenges while actively listening to customer needs and collaborating with various stakeholders to co-develop effective solutions.
Orica told IM:“ Orica’ s design and development activities for BEVs will be conducted close to our technology centres, primarily in Australia and other key locations. Australia appears to be the best place to start trials of BEVs for explosives delivery because of its robust regulatory framework and the fact we have an established technology centre in proximity to potential trial sites.”
www. orica. com
International Mining | JUNE 2025