MacLean has entered into a dealer agreement with ULE Equipment Company, the full-service heavy equipment specialists based in Mongolia, that, it says, will improve MacLean parts support and field service capabilities at the Rio Tinto majority-owned Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine in the Southern Gobi Desert.

The partnership between MacLean and ULE offers Oyu Tolgoi a unique blend of global expertise and local understanding, MacLean says. MacLean’s decades of experience in underground mining equipment, combined with ULE’s deep-rooted presence in the Mongolian market, can provide significant benefits for the operations, according to Gerelt-Od Rinchin (Jerry), Executive Director, ULE. This new partnership could bolster the development of more underground mines in Mongolia, similar to Oyu Tolgoi.

“We’re thrilled to have ULE as an in-country partner in Mongolia, at the truly multi-generational Oyu Tolgoi mine,” Patrick Marshall, MacLean VP of Technology, says. “ULE have been adding value at the Oyu Tolgoi mine for close to two decades with innovative products, services and support. We look forward to adding another pillar of value to Rio Tinto by pursuing this Mongolian partnership.”

Jari Tuorila, VP Australasia for MacLean, added: “The size of the orebody and the expected mine life for this project in southern Mongolia make it almost unique in the mining world, so the team at MacLean Australasia recognizes the importance of this project and is taking a long view when it comes to selling and supporting MacLean mining vehicles into it. We have a good foundation to build on, with the early success of our LR3 Boom Lifts currently working at site, and we are eager to work with ULE to identify other support vehicle needs that Oyu Tolgoi will have in the months and years to come.”

He added: “Even though our Perth branch team is in the same time zone as Oyu Tolgoi, we are aware how remote the Southern Gobi Desert is and how critical it is to have a world-class business partner that will help us maximise the success of MacLean mining vehicles that get commissioned, trained up and supported at site, working closely with the heavy equipment experts at ULE.”