Underground mining is advancing at an exceptional scale at the Oyu Tolgoi mine, in the South Gobi Desert of Mongolia, with the mine continuing to demonstrate a strong commitment to safe, modern and responsible mining practices, actively shaping the future of mining.
The focus is not only on production performance, but more importantly on enhancing safety and working conditions, optimising processes and adopting technologies that support long-term sustainability, Normet says.
The OEM has been supporting Oyu Tolgoi since the beginning and, today, on top of a large fleet of Normet’s diesel equipment, Normet SmartDrive® battery-electric machines play a key role in supporting daily operations and enabling the transition toward lower-emission production. Attendees at The Electric Mine 2026, in Lisbon, Portugal, heard all about this last month, with Mark Ryan, Vice President, Strategic Customer Projects, Mining, presenting, ‘From first discussion to daily routine: Embedding BEVs as an integral part of underground operations at Oyu Tolgoi mine Mongolia.’
The world’s biggest SmartDrive fleet is operating at Oyu Tolgoi across a wide range of applications. From concrete spraying and explosives charging to lifting, logistics and concrete transport, the fleet demonstrates how electrification can be effectively implemented in demanding, large-scale underground environments. Supported by fast-charging infrastructure, the machines are integrated into operational cycles, ensuring high availability and consistent performance.
At Oyu Tolgoi, electrification has been implemented across multiple underground processes rather than at an individual machine level, creating a versatile and scalable equipment fleet. This enables standardisation on battery-electric solutions across different functions, improving maintenance efficiency, simplifying operator training and supporting more consistent operations. At the same time, it contributes to the mine’s broader ambition to reduce emissions and improve underground conditions.
Fast-charging solutions are located following the mine requirements, whereas process machines such as explosives chargers and concrete sprayers can be charged during the operation from the mine’s electric grid, ensuring that electrification enhances productivity while maintaining operational flexibility.
The successful deployment of SmartDrive machines at Oyu Tolgoi is the result of long and close collaboration. From the first discussion and early planning through to training and commissioning, and ultimately integrating the machines into daily operations, the focus has been on ensuring that electrification delivers practical value in day-to-day mining activities, the company says.
Fleet selection has been aligned with operational requirements, while charging infrastructure has been designed to support efficient workflows underground. Training and technical support have enabled smooth adoption, and continuous dialogue between the teams supports ongoing optimisation and development. As noted by Chrisjan Clappen, Service Contract Project Manager, Normet Mongolia, “These machines provide valuable operational data that we use for service planning. The same data is also used to develop training materials and support the upskilling of our workforce.”
In addition, the use of Normet’s Remote Monitoring Service plays an important role in maintaining the fleet’s reliability, safety and efficiency. Real-time data and condition monitoring support the Oyu Tolgoi underground mobile maintenance team in making informed, data-driven decisions, with a clear focus on asset health and proactive maintenance.
This data-driven approach, combining remote monitoring insights, structured training and strong technical support, has been key in building the capabilities required to operate and maintain a large BEV fleet underground, Normet says.
It said: “With its SmartDrive fleet, Oyu Tolgoi is taking clear and measurable steps toward improving both safety and efficiency underground. The use of battery-electric machines eliminates local emissions, while lower noise, reduced heat and vibration contribute to improved working conditions for personnel.”
At the same time, the reliability and performance of the equipment support the high demands of a large-scale underground operation. Clappen added: “Supporting the largest SmartDrive fleet in the world provides a strong reference point for our operations. We apply the learnings across our sites and share them with partners and other projects globally.”
By combining productivity with sustainability, Oyu Tolgoi continues to demonstrate how modern mining can evolve to meet both operational and environmental goals.