All posts by Paul Moore

Two XEMC 120 t battery electric mining trucks begin tests in Brazil with AIZ Group

Automation, Bulk handling, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining

Brazil-based AIZ Group has been providing solutions for the mining market since 2018 which through subsidiary AIZM includes offering on a rental or sales basis yellow primary mining machines as well as light and heavy trucks, almost all available as all electric or conventional diesel combustion-powered, to offer customers the most diverse options for tailor made projects.

The company told IM that its solutions are adapted to the standards of Brazilian mining companies, plus many units have additional electronic safety systems and some are available for remote control and autonomous operations for specific applications such as tailings dam decommissioning.

AIZ has partnerships with key Chinese OEMs including XCMG, LGMG and XEMC and in 2022 it acquired two all battery electric 120E-2 rigid truck units from XEMC based in Xiangtan to increase its capacity to offer all electric solutions to the mining market. XEMC has also spun off its own green mining truck company, Igreencle, along with partners telecomms/5G group Datang and Huolinhe mine owner, energy group SPIC. Its offering also includes battery electric water trucks for mine operation.

The 120E-2 heavy trucks are currently being tested at AIZ’s headquarters in São José dos Pinhais in Parana state, and at the end of this stage AIZ says it will have concrete performance data to better indicate to its customers.

It works with large companies in Brazilian mining including Vale, ArcelorMittal and Anglo American plus its battery electric equipment includes units from other manufacturers such as CAMC, Volkswagen and BYD trucks as well as SOCMA forklifts.

The headquarters has its own development team and a complete manufacturing park. A showroom also operates at this location, with 35,000 m2 dedicated to products ready for delivery. Its innovations have already included a remote control, cabless 8×4 haul truck with double cylinder and double walled body equipped with heating to always ensure full unloading of the transported waste material. It is equipped with mining tyres for greater flexibility on mining roads plus has a lower operating height that facilitates loading with a wheel loader for greater productivity.

Outokumpu says Kemi to be first carbon-neutral mine in world, helped by Neste renewable fuels

Base metals, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mineral project development, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Sustainable mining

Global leader in sustainable stainless steel Outokumpu says its Kemi chrome mine near its Tornio operations in Finland is to become the first carbon-neutral mine in the world by 2025 – almost a third of the target to be achieved with Neste’s renewable fuels. Thanks to their use, the annual greenhouse gas emissions of the Kemi mine will be cut by almost 11.3 million kilos, which corresponds to the removal of approximately 4,000 passenger cars from Finnish traffic for a year.

The statement said: “This decade is highly critical in terms of climate action, and Finland plays an important role as the frontrunner in Europe…as part of Outokumpu’s emission reduction targets, the company’s Kemi mine will become carbon neutral by 2025. In October, Outokumpu will take a significant step forward in reaching the target by replacing fossil fuels with renewable solutions provided by Neste, the world’s leading producer of renewable diesel.”

Heidi Peltonen, Vice President, Sustainability at Outokumpu: “As the only stainless steel producer, Outokumpu is committed to ambitious climate targets in line with the 1.5 degree ambition. We aim to decrease direct and indirect emissions as well as emissions from the supply chain by 42% per tonne of stainless steel we produce by 2030 compared to the 2016 baseline. The carbon neutrality of the Kemi mine is an investment worth millions of euros and when realised, it will mean a reduction of almost 40 million kilos in Outokumpu’s greenhouse gas emissions.”

She adds: “The three key factors of the Kemi Mine’s carbon neutrality are giving up fossil fuels, utilising low-emission electricity, and replacing natural and propane gas in heating. As a first step, we will switch to renewable fuels and aim to identify all possibilities to decrease emissions from the entire value chain – to get as close to zero in our total emissions as possible. We are also studying the opportunities for compensating the remaining emissions in our value chain that cannot be otherwise reduced with current technology. Our goal is to make the Kemi mine the world’s first operating carbon-neutral mine by 2025.”

The Kemi mine is the only chrome mine in the European Union and part of the sustainable supply chain of Outokumpu’s stainless steel mill in Tornio. Outokumpu’s operations in Kemi and Tornio also provide a great number of jobs in Finland.

“Our own chrome mine is a competitive advantage. As part of the development of the Kemi mine and achieving our sustainability targets, we have recently finished a significant mine project. In 2017-2023, we invested more than €280 million into deepening our underground mine from 500 metres to 1,000 metres. This is to ensure the continuous supply of chrome, a key raw material in stainless steel, for decades to come. The carbon footprint of the ferrochrome produced by our company is 67% lower than the industry average, which in part has an impact on our stainless steel having the smallest carbon footprint in the market,” says Martti Sassi, President of the business area Ferrochrome at Outokumpu.

Neste’s renewable diesel, made from 100% renewable raw materials such as used cooking oil and animal fat from food industry waste is used to replace fossil fuels in the machines, trains and alternative power sources in the Kemi mine and the Tornio mill as well as in the transports between the mine and the mill. The owner-operated fleet of the Kemi and Tornio operations as well as the contractor fleet will fully switch to Neste MY Renewable Diesel™.

“Our goal at Neste is to help customers reduce their greenhouse gas emissions with our renewable and circular solutions by at least 20 million tons per year by 2030. I’m glad that our long-term cooperation with Outokumpu continues and that we can support the company in working towards its ambitious climate targets. The switch to renewable fuels at the Kemi mine and Tornio steel mill is Neste’s most extensive cooperation with the mining and steel industry in Europe so far. By replacing fossil fuels with our renewable fuels in their own fleet and contractors’ fleet, Outokumpu can immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions in these by 90%* on average over the life cycle of the fuel,” says Joni Pihlstöm, Vice President, Marketing & Services, B2B Sales at Neste.

MMD completes trial assembly for fixed Sizer station set for Liberian iron ore mine

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Steel and iron ore

MMD says it recently completed a trial assembly at its home UK operation for a fixed Sizer station, due to be installed in Liberia. The MMD designed Sizer station, which will process iron ore, will include a D10 Feeder and a 625 Series Sizer. With almost all of the design, fabrication and trial assembly complete, the company says it is looking forward to seeing this installation commence onsite in 2024.

The 625 Series Sizer is one of MMD’s most popular machines as it can be configured for primary or secondary use in the same system on medium tonnages, allowing common drives for both primary and secondary units. The length of the inlet can be adjusted at the design stage to suit the tonnage required and can be constructed as a fixed or adjustable centres unit. A wide range of existing tooth configurations are available for this machine to cover most applications.

MMD says fixed Sizer stations combine conveyor haulage efficiency with truck and shovel flexibility to improve productivity and help users reach ESG commitments. “Fixed Sizer Stations are commonly fixed in position for the life of the mine and process ore or waste delivered by truck. Material is Sized ready for an efficiency haul by conveyor to the process plant. Using trucks within the mine delivers the versatility you require in the pit while sizing and conveying delivers high-efficiency.”

Caterpillar zero emissions fleet at NMG to start with pilot battery electric 950 GC wheel loader

Bulk handling, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, High tech minerals, Mineral project development, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining

In line with its commitment to adopt clean energy sources and technologies, Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc has reported advancement on its electrification program for the Phase-2 Matawinie Mine and Bécancour Battery Material Plant. Leveraging Québec’s power grid, one of the greenest in the world, as the bedrock of its electrification strategy, NMG has confirmed electrical capacity and competitive rates, and defined zero-exhaust emission equipment deployment with Caterpillar Inc.

Complementary to agreements in place for the Phase-2 Matawinie Mine which include the construction of a dedicated powerline, NMG obtained confirmation from Hydro-Québec – the government corporation that produces, transmits, and distributes electricity in Québec – of a 77 MW electricity block for the Phase-2 Bécancour Battery Material Plant. The allocated electricity block will enable the establishment of a fully integrated advanced manufacturing platform in Bécancour, in the heart of Québec’s battery valley, for refining graphite into active anode material. NMG has also received confirmation of its discounted industrial rate for hydroelectricity at both Phase-2 Matawinie Mine and Bécancour Battery Material Plant.

Moving to electrifying mining at Matawinie, active technical work between Caterpillar and NMG’s teams have enabled the establishment of a calendar to deploy early learners and/or pilot models for the Phase 2 Matawinie Mine, to test equipment in actual terrain and weather, and to map the transition to future zero-exhaust-emission production models. The Cat® 950 GC-wheel loader would be the first battery-electric pilot machine to arrive at Matawinie.

This model was first unveiled as a prototype along with three other smaller machines – 301.9 mini excavator, 320 medium excavator and 906 compact wheel loader – at Bauma 2022 in Munich. At that time Caterpillar stated that the units are powered by Caterpillar battery prototypes and include an onboard AC charger. It said of the batteries: “Built on proven Caterpillar technology, the lithium-ion battery range features a modular design that offers flexible configurations across multiple applications. The batteries are engineered to be scalable to industry and customer performance needs and maximise sustainability throughout their lifecycle, including recycling and reuse at the end of life.”

These developments also support planning for the site’s charging infrastructure. Modelling and simulating the location of charging stations, equipment operations on site, as well as charging cycles in relation to operational schedules and the mining plan, help optimise site design and technology choices. The simulation of charging needs helps identify peak power demand and defining energy management strategies.

Denise Johnson, Caterpillar Group President, commented: “The Matawinie project highlights the complex questions miners are faced with when determining the amount of energy required to run a fully electric site. This is part of the learning NMG and Caterpillar are navigating together as we work through the realities of supporting the mine site of the future. I’m proud of the work our teams are accomplishing together to propel this project forward.”

Eric Desaulniers, Founder, President and CEO of NMG, said: “It started with a bold vision. Going all-electric at our Matawinie Mine is the way to go; environmentally to limit our carbon footprint, socially to rally the community behind a new mining development and to reduce the sound level of our operations, and commercially to engage with battery/EV manufacturers and tap into consumers’ responsible purchasing desires. Now, Caterpillar is providing us with a comprehensive solution, de-risking the adoption of new technologies and optimising operational excellence through integrated infrastructure.”

FLSmidth adds to dewatered tailings conveying test capabilities with new unit in Brazil

Base metals, Bulk handling, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining services, Precious metals, Sustainable mining

FLSmidth says it has expanded its conveyor testing capabilities. Due to increasing demand for small scale testing on conveyor transport of mine waste, FLS has installed a new test unit at its lab in Votorantim, Brazil. This test unit is used to determine the change in surcharge angle of a material over conveyed distances as well as determining the maximum slope that material can be conveyed.

These data-driven tests provide results that can be used to design conveyor systems for dewatered and co-mingled tailings. This unit, along with the first unit based in Salt Lake City, Utah, are available for both lab-scale testing and pilot rental.

FLS offers complete dewatering, material handling and co-mingling solutions, in-house. It also provides all the required comprehensive testing to ensure it can supply the most economic tailings solution to each customer on a site-by-site basis.

The geotechnical properties of the stacked tailings will drive to what degree the tailings must be filtered. The material handling system, conveyors and stackers, must be designed to match the quality of the filter cake produced.

The main FLS co-mingling solution, named EcoTails™, was first developed in cooperation with Goldcorp (now part of Newmont) and has also been looked at in South America for copper operations. EcoTails blends “fast filtered” tailings with waste rock in transit and creates a geotechnically stable product called GeoWaste™. When blended properly, GeoWaste is easy to convey and has a high strength when stacked. Another co-mingling option is mixing paste tailings with waste rock – referred to by FLS as EcoPaste™.

Barrick strengthens Zambia partnership, invests in major expansion of Lumwana

Base metals, Bulk handling, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining project news

Barrick’s transformation of its Lumwana mine into a world-class producer will provide strong impetus for the government’s thrust to revive the country’s copper industry, President and Chief Executive Mark Bristow said this week after a meeting with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema.

Barrick is investing almost $2 billion in an expansion project designed to increase Lumwana’s annual production to an estimated 240,000 t of copper from a 50 Mt per annum process plant over a 36-year life of mine, elevating this once-unprofitable operation into the front rank of copper producers. The project’s accelerated work program is targeting completion of the full feasibility study by the end of 2024, bringing expected expanded process plant production forward to 2028.

Since Barrick took over operations at Lumwana in 2019, the mine has contributed almost $3 billion to the Zambian economy in the form of taxes, royalties, salaries and the procurement of goods and services. In addition to its local procurement policy, the company is also committed to local employment, and 99.3% of Lumwana’s current workforce are Zambian nationals.

“Barrick believes that its host countries are its key stakeholders and that partnering with them creates sustainable value for both of us. In Zambia as elsewhere in our global network, we seek to share the economic benefits generated by our mines with the countries’ governments and people, notably our neighbouring communities,” Bristow said.

Last year Barrick launched a Business Accelerator Program aimed at building business capacity for the Zambian contractors in Lumwana’s supply chain and to support them in effecting their own growth plans. It is also partnering with the country’s Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises to support the development of these businesses.

Looking at Lumwana’s current performance, Bristow said it was on track to deliver its production guidance for 2023 and was ramping up owner mining with both the reopening of the Malundwe pit as well as delivery of the new owner mining pre-stripping fleet.

Republican President Hakainde Hichilema stated he was elated by the news of the planned expansion. “This is a show of confidence in our New Dawn government by one of the world’s leading mining companies. Our laser focus is on establishing Zambia as a global mining destination. We have also set ourselves the target of producing 3 million tonnes of copper by 2030. Barrick is a key strategic partner on this journey.”

President Hichilema called on Barrick to prioritise local content and increase the participation of Zambian suppliers to the Lumwana mine. He also encouraged Barrick to deploy the most advanced mining technology and invest in downstream value addition in support of the New Dawn’s vision of establishing green industrial parks in Zambia.

First Mode offers three mining truck retrofit solutions for Path to Zero™

Bulk handling, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining

Today, First Mode announced an expanded product mix, helping its mining partners begin and progress on their Path to Zero™. Julian Soles, CEO: “The journey begins with our Hybrid Electric solutions, which are feedforward retrofits for converting diesel fleets today while enabling future conversions to full zero emission battery or fuel cell options at anytime.”

Before retrofit, an ultra-class haul truck in typical use will burn about one million litres of diesel fuel per year, producing around 2,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Globally, there are about 10,000 ultra-class haul trucks in operation. That’s 27 million metric tons of CO2 each year.

The first solution is a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) with regenerative battery pack. When the truck is descending a hill, it uses its wheel motors as brakes. The energy generated is captured by the batteries and later used to help power the truck. This regenerative braking and power reuse cuts down on fuel usage and carbon dioxide emissions by up to 30%, depending on conditions.

The First Mode HEV option

The HEV diesel engine, radiator, and fuel tank are untouched by the HEV retrofit. No new support infrastructure is needed, so the HEV is aimed at being a first step in the miners’ decarbonisation journey.

Then there is the solution First Mode is already known for – Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle or FCEV. “A large liquid hydrogen tank is the most energy-dense and cost-effective way to store energy on a zero-emissions vehicle. The radiator mounted in front of the tank is used to cool the fuel cells that power the truck.”

The fuel cells on both sides of the truck combine hydrogen from the tank with oxygen from the air to produce electricity to power the truck. The only byproduct of the fuel cells is water. Again there’s regen batteries but they have the same configuration as the HEV battery pack, so HEV owners have the option of proceeding to an FCEV retrofit without discarding retrofit work already accomplished.

Last but not least the Battery Electric Vehicle or BEV. The BEV main batteries are charged through regenerative braking and through a static multi-megawatt fast charging system. The radiator is used to maintain acceptable operating temperatures for the batteries and their associated power electronics.

Again these batteries have the same configuration as the HEV battery pack, so HEV owners could proceed to an all-battery retrofit without losing the retrofit work already accomplished.

Path to Zero™ solutions will be widely available beginning in 2025. To ensure smooth integration with existing fleet management systems, First Mode will provide staff training and education, fuel sourcing and fuel security support, regular maintenance, and access to spare parts.

Cummins opens new high horsepower engine rebuild facility in Krakow

Base metals, Bulk handling, Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining

Cummins has unveiled its brand-new European Master Rebuild Centre for high horsepower engines in Krakow, Poland – the first of its kind in Europe. IM was there and a follow up article will discuss the facility’s offer to mining in more detail.

The company has invested $10 million in the development of the Centre, which remanufactures Cummins high horsepower engines with displacements of 19 to 78 litres, and in the 450 to 3,500 horsepower range. This includes Cummins’ renowned QSK19, QSK38 and QSK60 engines.

The new 4,600 m2 facility has been developed to increase Cummins’ capacity to meet growing demand across several sectors for high horsepower engines, rebuilt and tested to the highest quality standards in a factory environment. This strategic move will enhance Cummins’ services in Europe, meeting the needs of new and existing customers across the region.

Cummins rebuilt engines are increasingly becoming the first option for customers who want reduced costs and greater engine uptime. Cummins engine rebuilds go through a six-stage remanufacturing process that sees the engine disassembled, cleaned, inspected, re-machined, reassembled with Genuine Cummins parts and tested. As a result, the engine’s life is extended, and its performance is enhanced.

A Cummins rebuilt engine has a much shorter lead time than a factory ordered engine and performs to the same specification as a new engine with a typical cycle time of 35 working days. A remanufactured engine provides up-front savings for customers when compared with a new, first-fit engine, increasing revenue and efficiency.

Cummins will offer a range of rebuild and remanufacture options at the Centre. Its Ultimate Remanufacture solution sees the full dismantling and reassembling of the engine, with the replacement of all worn components with Cummins Genuine parts, including wear and tear components. Ultimate Remanufacture engines have a full factory warranty equivalent to a new engine.

The company chose to locate the Centre in Krakow for several reasons. It is close to an international airport and major highway, centrally located within Cummins’ European network, and near to several large-scale industrial operations which are reliant on top-end Cummins power, as well as new customers. It also benefits from the highly skilled team that were based at Cummins’ already existing Krakow site.

Mining will be a key market including the major surface metal mining markets in Europe located in Sweden, Finland, Bulgaria, Serbia and elsewhere.

It is the newest of 13 Cummins Master Rebuild Centres around the world, all providing rebuilds in factory environments.

Ann-Kristin de Verdier, Executive Managing Director for Cummins’ Europe Distribution Business, said: “We’re thrilled that this state-of-the-art facility has officially opened. It is the result of a significant and strategic investment to deliver more choice to our customers across Europe, ultimately helping them to reduce costs and boost productivity.”

She added: “Cummins has been manufacturing diesel engines for over 100 years, and while we would always be happy to supply customers with a new engine, if there is a way to keep an existing engine working to peak performance then that should be the first option. That’s why we have built this new Centre.”

The new European Master Rebuild Centre is an integral feature of a new base in Krakow, which is home to a warehouse, workshop and administrative offices. The new Centre is expected to be key in Cummins’ wider growth strategy in Poland and across Europe.

Cummins’ also developed the new facility to support its Destination Zero and Planet 2050 commitments to environmental sustainability. It features solar panels, charging points, a high-tech microbiological wash bay which reuses 100% of water used on site and other state-of-the-art solutions. The engine remanufacturing process also requires 85% less energy than manufacturing new engines, and reduces the use of raw materials, packaging and the production of scrap metal.

Monadelphous buys structural concrete specialist Melchor Contracting

Mineral project development, Mining consumables, Mining services

Engineering company Monadelphous Group Ltd has entered into an agreement to acquire Melchor Contracting, a Perth-based structural concrete and associated works business, subject to the satisfaction of conditions precedent that are usual in transactions of this nature.

Melchor Contracting offers a full structural concrete package capability, including detailed earthworks, formwork, reinforcement fixing and concrete placement in the resources, energy and infrastructure sectors. It currently employs around 300 people and generates revenue of approximately A$100 million per annum.

The acquisition of Melchor Contracting it said “is aligned to Monadelphous’ markets and growth strategy, broadening the company’s multidisciplinary construction offering to include civil capability.”

Monadelphous will make an initial cash payment of A$10 million to acquire Melchor Contracting, followed by a purchase price adjustment in accordance with the final working capital position at completion. The company expects the transaction to be completed in the first half of the current financial year.

Melchor’s ongoing projects include all in-situ concrete works for BHP’s West Musgrave copper nickel operation including reinforcement, formwork and concrete placement for the primary crusher, vertical roller mills and two reclaim tunnels.

For the Greenbushes Chemical Grade Plant 3 (CGP3), it is working for client Lycopodium on detailed earthworks, formwork, reinforcement, concrete, supply & installation of cast-in items & HD bolts, installation of primary crusher drainage & ROM backfill, plus installation of the fine ore stockpile tunnel. Greenbushes is the world’s largest lithium mining operation. The site comprises a large open-pit mine and four processing plants.

The construction of Chemical Grade Plant 3 (CGP3) was approved in March 2022 following the conclusion of a front-end-engineering and design process and updated capital cost estimate. Once complete, CGP3 is expected to contribute an additional 520,000 t/y of spodumene concentrate to the production profile once construction is completed in early 2025. Greenbushes is owned by Talison Lithium, a JV between US major Albermarle Corporation and JV partner Tianqi Lithium and IGO.

All electric 4×4 company Munro reveals latest design enhancements & crowdfunding round

Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Mining maintenance, Mining services, Sustainable mining

Munro Vehicles, a manufacturer of all-electric 4x4s, and Scotland’s only volume production car company, has announced an equity crowdfunding round and revealed details of design and technical enhancements for its all-electric 4×4 Series-M Pick-Up and Series-M Truck models, driven by extensive field trials of, and customer feedback on, the Munro MK_1 pre-production model.

Munro is launching its equity crowdfunding initiative with leading global online investment platform Seedrs between the 3rd and 31st of October. The investment funds raised will enable Munro to capitalise on considerable customer interest, deliver its first production vehicles, hire more people, scale its premises, and expand resources. Designed, engineered, and proudly built in the UK, the Munro is marks the first light vehicle to enter production in Scotland in over four decades.

“We have already had significant interest from the investor community and are extending that offer further to entrepreneurs, private individuals, and customers. We want to give them the opportunity to become part of the Munro story and take advantage of the unique solution our products provide and the significant imminent legislation-driven market opportunity the brand is poised to leverage,” commented Munro CEO and Co-Founder Russell Peterson.

He adds: “Munro has paid reservations and sales agreements for eight pilot vehicles in 2023 and 221 production vehicles in 2024-2025. Our immediate priority is to deliver Series-M pilot vehicles to early-adopter customers to demonstrate our product-market fit. Our production spec deliveries will start mid-2024, and we plan to progressively ramp up production to 2,500 vehicles per year by 2027. So, with a full two-year order book for both the Series-M Pick-Up and the Series-M Truck, Munro’s Seedrs campaign will offer compelling investment opportunities, expedite our growth plans and unlock scales of economy.”

The Munro Series-M is described as “a ground-breaking electric-powered, four-wheel-drive workhorse that combines the rugged reliability and repairability of a full-time 4×4 mechanical drivetrain with a state-of-the-art electric powertrain, ensuring zero tailpipe emissions.” The vehicle is offered in ‘standard’ M170 170kW and ‘high-power’ M280 280kW guises and in Pick-Up and Truck configurations.

While the first, pre-production iteration of the Munro Series-M, referred to as the Munro MK_1, has already been successfully previewed to the media and customers, Munro has taken onboard feedback gained during extensive field trials in the Scottish Highlands and implemented numerous design and engineering upgrades.

“Revisiting how some of the major components were packaged allowed us to enhance the aesthetic and technical aspects of the Munro Series-M Truck and Pick-Up,” explained Munro Head of Design, Ross Compton. “We have created an even more distinct design that builds upon the Munro name while introducing improvements to areas such as aerodynamic and cooling performance and efficiency.”

The Munro Series-M now features a more streamlined and lighter front end, allowing greater forward visibility. The transition to superior body panelling now means that components can be more easily replaced, further bolstering the all-electric 4×4’s ability to provide a lifetime of service. At the rear, an ‘exoskeleton’ mounted on the hard top on Utility specification models enables easy mounting of equipment, an asset for those operating in sectors Munro is targeting, which include mining.

Responding to customer feedback on its early demonstrator vehicles, Munro has introduced an adjustable steering column with steering wheel controls, plus a raft of ergonomic enhancements that include improvement of the seat rake and height adjustment. A full suite of safety equipment, including airbags, ABS brakes, stability and traction control, is now offered.

“We have introduced a more durable, longer-lasting LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery pack that provides a faster 30-minute, 130 kW rapid charging time,” explained Munro Co-Founder and Head of Powertrain Director Ross Anderson. “We have also significantly improved the thermal efficiency of the vehicle. Waste heat, scavenged from the drivetrain, can now be used to heat the cabin. Combined with more effective sound deadening measures, the Munro Series-M now makes for a more comfortable travelling experience, whether it is being driven on tarmac for a range of up to 200 miles or traversing the most challenging off-road terrain in the world that it was designed to conquer.”

More than 250 pre-orders for both the Truck and Pick-Up models have been received, affirming that Munro’s vehicles are precisely what the market needs, particularly in sectors such as mining where radical solutions are required to enable operators to meet their decarbonisation targets.