Collahuasi copper mine has welcomed South America’s first Liebherr T 284 to complement its existing fleet of seven T 282 C mining trucks at what is now the world’s second largest copper operation. The company’s industrial installations and the Rosario, Ujina and Huinquintipa deposits located in the Pica municipal district of Chile’s Tarapaca Region, form its Cordillera Area. From the Ujina sector, where the concentrator plant is also located, a 203 km system of slurry pipelines transports copper concentrate to the Collahuasi Port Terminal in Punta Patache, 65 km south of the city of Iquique, from where products are shipped to international markets.

Liebherr states: “Sustainability is the company’s central pillar and the framework which guides the way it does business, leading the company to choose Liebherr trucks. Combining the T 284’s efficient Litronic Plus AC drive system, high power engine and low gross vehicle weight, leads to fast haul cycle times with higher speeds on grade for top productivity.”

At 4,500 m altitude, the Collahuasi mine is the highest in the region. Liebherr adds: “Unlike its competition, the T 284 is uniquely equipped with the Liebherr high altitude kit, allowing the truck to perform efficiently in these extreme geographical conditions, maintaining standard performance of the truck with similar availability and component life as trucks seen around the world.”