Epiroc says it has won a large order for underground mining trucks in Australia from global mining contractor Byrnecut for use at the Kathleen Valley hard-rock lithium mine in Western Australia.

Byrnecut, one of the world’s largest underground mining contractors, has ordered a fleet of Minetruck MT65 S haulers as part of the order, valued at about SEK130 million ($11.9 million).

The equipment will be used at the in-development Kathleen Valley project, where lithium as well as tantalum will be produced. Production is currently targeted to begin in 2024.

Byrnecut was, earlier this year, awarded the underground mining services contract at Kathleen Valley by Liontown Resources.

Epiroc will also provide parts and service support, including service technicians on site.

Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO, said: “We are excited to contribute to the success of the new Kathleen Valley mine, where the production of lithium, especially, will support the acceleration of the transformation to a low-carbon society.”

Sami Niiranen, President of Epiroc’s Underground division, added: “The newly updated Epiroc Minetruck MT65 S is a top-of-the-line machine designed with a focus on safety, productivity, energy efficiency and operator comfort. We look forward to continue working together with Byrnecut to make their mining operations successful.”

Epiroc and Byrnecut have a long-standing partnership, and the contractor already runs a fleet of Minetruck MT65 haulers at other mining site, the OEM says.

The ordered mining trucks have several advanced features, such as Epiroc’s telematics system Certiq, which allows for intelligent monitoring of machine performance and productivity in real-time. Delivery will begin soon and will continue in 2024 and 2025.