Byrnecut Australia has ordered a fleet of Epiroc Minetruck MT65 S haulers for its Kathleen Valley lithium project in Western Australia.
Epiroc said the MT65 S is the world’s highest payload underground truck in the field, and valued the order at SEK$130 million ($18.5 million).
“We are excited to contribute to the success of the new Kathleen Valley mine, where the production of lithium, especially, will support the acceleration of the transformation to a low-carbon society,” Epiroc president and chief executive officer Helena Hedblom said.
Epiroc underground division president Sami Niiranen also welcomed the deal with Byrnecut.
“The newly updated Epiroc Minetruck MT65 S is a top-of-the-line machine designed with a focus on safety, productivity, energy efficiency, and operator comfort,” he said.
“We look forward to continue working together with Byrnecut to make their mining operations successful.”
The Kathleen Valley mine is currently under development, with production targeted to begin in 2024.
Once the mine is in production, Epiroc has said it will provide parts and service support for the haulers, including service technicians on the mine site.
Epiroc and Byrnecut have a long-standing partnership, with the contractor already running a fleet of Minetruck MT65 haulers at other mine sites.
The new contract follows Epiroc’s announcement of a commitment to collaborate with Newcrest on a new strategic partnership.
The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding last week aiming to take a holistic approach toward the entire mining process at Newcrest’s mines.
Byrnecut also executed a $1 billion contract with Liontown Resources last week for underground mining services at Kathleen Valley.
The contract will run for four years, with Liontown already beginning preparatory works at Kathleen Valley ahead of the mobilisation of Byrnecut in the coming weeks.