During the Exposibram mining show in Belo Horizonte, IM Editor Paul Moore took the opportunity to visit the special Chinese pavilion, where one of the exhibitors is Xiangtan Electric Manufacturing Group (XEMC), the leading China-based manufacturer of large electric drive mine trucks. IM and XEMC have corresponded in the past but this was the first opportunity for a face to face meeting. Marketing manager Duan Chaojun gave an update on the company’s progress: in Inner Mongolia, 51 220 t SF33900 trucks are now operating at lignite operations in addition to another four in Xianjang Province. These trucks have a Cummins QSK60 engine and 5GTA41B GE drive. In smaller models, there are over 500 models of the 108 t SF31904 model now operating. But the very latest news is that the company has built a 300 t truck, the SF35100, as well as agreeing to deliver four SF33900 models to Rio Tinto in Australia.

The deal with Rio Tinto was signed on 30th May 2011 and will see four of the 220 t trucks delivered to the Pilbara iron ore operations by the end of the year. These models have an MTU engine and GE drive. This deal is highly significant as it takes XEMC beyond its home market. The number of Chinese owned mining operations around the world should also offer major opportunities for them. The new 300 t truck has been built, with one running in Inner Mongolia lignite and a second to be delivered by the end of this month. This also has a Cummins QSK60 engine and 5GTA41B GE drive. Other Chinese manufacturers are also making headway. Detroit Heavy Truck (DHTE) has successfully built a 363 t (400 short ton) truck known as the ELITE 6000, another historic development in the market. DHTE has combined its experience with that of ELITE to develop the new truck. ELITE is itself a manufacturing JV created by China Metallurgical Group Corp and Hunan Valin Steel. China’s giant machinery group Sany is also thought to be keen to enter the large truck market but to date has only built quarry class models.