Lebedinsky GOK (part of Metalloinvest) has boosted its iron ore mining vehicle fleet with three new 220-tonne BELAZ dump trucks. These modern, highly productive vehicles were supplied to the enterprise as part of Metalloinvest’s investment programme to develop the mining and transport fleets of Lebedinsky GOK and Mikhailovsky GOK. In total in 2017, Metalloinvest has acquired six of these dump trucks for Lebedinsky GOK.

These new heavy-duty mining dump trucks can transfer large quantities of ore, which reduces specific fuel consumption and environmental impact. Before the implementation of the investment programme, the maximum lifting capacity of the enterprise’s heavy duty dump trucks amounted to 136 tonnes, and the excavators’ buckets measured 10-12 m3.

Oleg Mikhailov, Managing Director of Lebedinsky GOK, commented: “These additions to our fleet give us unique advantages in our production operations, and will ensure excellent working conditions for the enterprise’s mining employees. The combination of a heavy-duty vehicle with 23- or 18-inch excavators represents a highly productive unit, which enables us to significantly increase the efficiency of our mining operations. Metalloinvest has implemented a mining and transport development programme, as part of which the Company plans to purchase several excavators with 18 m3 buckets.”

The new BELAZ trucks are equipped with advanced engines that ensure the higher power and speed of dump trucks going uphill. The machines are characterised by high quality of units and mechanisms that ensure stable operation and traffic safety, including during unfavourable weather conditions. The dump truck is equipped with a modern climate control system and provides a high level of noise and vibration isolation.

In the process of implementing the investment programme for upgrading the equipment of the mining complex at Lebedinsky GOK and Mikhailovsky GOK in 2014-2016, Metalloinvest acquired almost 300 units of equipment: 15 traction units and 232 dump trucks, 11 heavy dump trucks, 11 excavators, 5 drilling rigs. Two more excavators and a heavy truck arrived at the enterprises under the lease agreements.

In 2017, 11 large-capacity trucks, 2 excavators, 2 drilling rigs, 66 dump cars and 2 traction units, as well as other, smaller machinery, were added to the mining and processing plants of Metalloinvest.