Sandvik says it has successfully commissioned two Toro® LH518iB battery-electric loaders, now autonomously operating at New Gold Inc.’s New Afton mine in British Columbia, Canada.
Over the past two weeks, these 18-t loaders have been operating in the designated test area within the Lift 1 footwall, preparing for the C-Zone transfer level completion by year-end.
Sandvik said: “This is a significant milestone for Canadian mining, as these are North America’s first fully automated battery-electric loaders. Their introduction highlights the potential of automation and electrification in mining.”
This will enable New Afton’s operations to enhance cycle times and reduce heat, noise and greenhouse gas emissions at Canada’s only block cave mine, the OEM added.
New Gold’s New Afton mine was the first operation to trial the battery-electric LH518B in late 2020. It later purchased several of these machines, which complemented the 50-t-payload BEV trucks also operating at the mine.
The Sandvik Toro LH518iB, meanwhile, has been deployed at several operations, including LKAB’s Malmberget operation and Boliden’s Garpenberg mine, both in Sweden.
