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Agnico Eagle Fosterville to trial Sandvik LH518B battery-electric loader

Gold miner Agnico Eagle will explore the safety, efficiency and sustainability benefits of battery-electric technology by trialing a Sandvik LH518B underground loader at its Fosterville Gold Mine later this year.

The Fosterville operation will become the first mine on Australia’s East Coast and only the second in the country to take delivery of the new Sandvik BEV. Featuring advanced Lithium-Iron Phosphate battery technology, Sandvik LH518B produces zero underground exhaust emissions and emits significantly less heat than its diesel counterparts.

“As a company, we’re committed to exploring new technologies to further enhance our extensive health and safety programs and to fully integrate sustainability into everything we do,” said Lance Faulkner, Fosterville Gold Mine’s General Manager. “And so, we’re delighted to be putting Sandvik LH518B into service at Fosterville. We’re interested to see just what kind of difference it can make in terms of efficiency and the underground working environment, and we look forward to working closely with Sandvik.”

Sandvik LH518B enables higher acceleration than conventional loaders as well as fast ramp speeds, resulting in short cycle times. Courtesy of its space-efficient battery system and driveline, it is the most compact 18-tonne loader on the market, capable of fitting in a 4.5-by-4.5-meter tunnel.

Faulkner said another attractive Sandvik LH518B feature is the ability to quickly and simply swap batteries. Sandvik’s AutoSwap technology allows for a depleted battery to be offloaded and a fully charged one loaded in as little as six minutes, with no need for lifting infrastructure.

“It’s crucial that new technologies are sustainable and safe, but also that they contribute to the efficiency and smooth running of our mining operation,” Faulkner said. “From what we have heard about the new Sandvik loader, it will deliver on all three fronts.”

Brisbane, Australia, September 1, 2022

For more information, please contact:
Andrew Dawson
Business Line Manager – Load and Haul
Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions
Email: andrew.dawson@sandvik.com

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Sandvik Group
Sandvik is a high-tech and global engineering group offering products and services that enhance customer productivity, profitability and safety. We hold world-leading positions in selected areas – tools and tooling systems for metal cutting; equipment and tools, service and technical solutions for the mining industry and rock excavation within the construction industry; products in advanced stainless steels and special alloys as well as products for industrial heating. In 2021, the Group had approximately 44,000 employees and revenues of about 99 billion SEK in about 150 countries.

Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions
Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions is a business area within the Sandvik Group and a global leading supplier of equipment and tools, parts, service, digital solutions and sustainability-driving technologies for the mining and construction industries. Application areas include rock drilling, rock cutting, loading and hauling, tunneling and quarrying. In 2021, sales were approximately 41.4 billion SEK with about 15,500 employees.

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