BIA Group has made Zambian mining equipment history with the commissioning of a PC8000-11E mining shovel from Komatsu at First Quantum Minerals Ltd’s (FQML) Sentinel copper mine. It states: “Following the Zambian government’s challenge to mining companies to increase copper production from 882,000 t to 2 Mt by 2026, FQM’s Sentinel Mine in Kalumbila has chosen the PC8000 hydraulic electric front shovel to ramp up copper production.”

This particular electric shovel uses over 3 MW of electric power, has a bucket size of 38 cubic metres, and weighs over 750 t. The move by FQML is also a sustainable one, given that FQML is pioneering an ambitious solar and wind energy project that it hopes will eventually provide stable power for its Zambia operations on a long-term sustainable basis. For now the new shovel already allows for a significant cut in Scope 1 emissions. The 430 MW energy project is expected to consist of a 230 MWp solar photovoltaic (PV) plant and a 200 MW wind farm to supply power to FQM’s operations Kansanshi mine in Solwezi and Sentinel mine in Kalumbila. Construction is expected to start next year.

Sentinel has already been a leader in electric mining as a long term user of trolley assist technology with its Komatsu 960E and Liebherr T 284 trucks which run under trolley using pantographs. In its latest Climate Change Report, FQML states: “We are an industry leader in technology such
as trolley-assist which significantly reduces diesel consumption and as a result GHG emissions. The trolley assist infrastructure offers the potential for future integration with battery technology.”

Speaking during the launch of the $15 million piece of equipment, Sentinel Mine Production Manager Daniel Phiri said with the new rope shovel, mine site productivity, economics, crew workload and safety would improve. Some 28 people have been trained by Komatsu from level one to three to ensure the care and maintenance required by the machine.