Anglo American’s Quellaveco copper mine in Peru has achieved a new milestone in its history with the complete installation of its first Caterpillar 7495 electric shovel, SH01, weighing 1,390 t, which is roughly the same as 630 light trucks.  The shovel is one of the largest pieces of mining equipment in Peru and is the first of three electric 7495 shovels that will be operational at Quellaveco.

The shovel was supplied by Cat dealer Ferreyros along with the rest of the mine’s Cat fleet. Both electric rope shovels and hydraulic mining shovels will handle loading duties at Quellaveco. Cat 7495 Electric Rope Shovels, the largest equipment in the Caterpillar portfolio in Peru, have the capacity to move up to 127,000 t per day. In addition, the mine will operate a Cat 6060B Hydraulic Mining Shovel, the first of its kind in Peru. The shovels will load a fleet of Cat 794AC trucks, one of the newest additions to the Cat large mining truck lineup, also significant in that they will be Anglo’s first autonomous trucks operating globally. The 291 t 794 features an electric-drive powertrain that is Caterpillar designed, integrated and supported.