Epiroc, a productivity partner for the mining industry, has won a large equipment and service order from\u00a0Codelco\u00a0for its\u00a0Chuquicamata mine in northern Chile.<\/p>\n
Codelco has ordered underground loaders, face drill rigs, rock bolting rigs and mine trucks, as well as technical support and training for the Chuquicamata underground mine project. <\/p>\n
The order is valued at more than $20 million and was booked in the company\u2019s orders for April 2020.<\/p>\n
Codelco, the world\u2019s largest copper producer, opened the Chuquicamata underground mine in 2019. <\/p>\n
The company is transforming the century-old Chuquicamata copper and gold open pit \u2013 the largest such mine in the world \u2013 into a high-tech underground operation. According to Codelco, this transformation will extend the mine\u2019s life by 40 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are proud to be a key partner of Codelco as it significantly extends the life of the Chuquicamata mine in the most productive, efficient and safe manner possible,\u201d Helena Hedblom, Epiroc\u2019s president and CEO, said in a release.<\/p>\n
\u201cEpiroc was chosen because it complied with all the technical, safety and performance requirements that Codelco demanded for the Chuquicamata underground mine project, while being the supplier that provided the best economic proposal for all its equipment as a whole,\u201d added Juan Mariscal, sourcing category manager at Codelco.<\/p>\n
The order includes multiple units of the Scooptram ST1030 and ST18 loaders, Boomer S2 face drilling rigs, Boltec M bolting machines, and Minetruck MT65 units. <\/p>\n
The Minetruck MT65 is the highest payload capacity underground truck in the world. The machines will be equipped with automation, connectivity and information management solutions. <\/p>\n
These include Epiroc\u2019s Rig Control System (RCS), which sets the equipment up for automation and remote control, and Epiroc\u2019s Certiq system, which allows real-time monitoring of machine performance and productivity. The equipment will be delivered later this year.<\/p>\n
This latest order follows a large service contract, signed last year, for Codelco\u2019s Andina mine and a large equipment order for the company\u2019s El Teniente mine.<\/p>\n