Minnesota Komatsu dealer Road Machinery & Supplies (RMS) states that on July 23, Mesabi Metallics became one of the first mines in the US to operate a cable-electric hydraulic excavator when its new Komatsu PC7000-11 loaded a 400-short ton Komatsu 980E-5 truck. Cable electric rope shovels are already widely deployed in the US copper and coal sector, and Mesabi Metallics also has a Komatsu P&H 2800XPB in its fleet.
Mesabi Metallics is located in Nashwauk, Minnesota, with a mine, beneficiation plant and pellet plant focused on domestic US production of Direct Reduction grade iron ore pellets. The 980E-5 trucks are also a first for Minnesota and represent part of a US$110 million Komatsu equipment fleet deal announced in 2025.
The mining company said on July 13 announced the successful completion of its first production blast, which was a defining milestone in the company’s drive to become the first new iron ore mine and pellet plant built in Minnesota in 50 years, and an on-schedule step toward first pellet production later in the third quarter.