Mining contractor JCHX has put in an order for several pieces of mining equipment for the soon-reopening Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine in the Haut-Katanga province in southern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The order, booked in the first quarter 2023, includes machines manufactured in Sweden: Scooptram ST14 loaders, Minetruck MT42 haul trucks and Simba production drill rigs. The Scooptram and Minetruck machines will be equipped with Epiroc’s telematics system Certiq, which allows for intelligent monitoring of machine performance and productivity in real-time, and with Epiroc’s Rig Control System, RCS, which makes them ready for automation and remote control.
Deliveries will begin soon and continue into early next year.
The underground Kipushi operation has been in care and maintenance since 1994. Construction to reopen the mine began in 2022 and it is expected to come back online again in 2024.
“We look forward to supporting JCHX in making operations at the Kipushi mine as safe and productive as possible,” said president and CEO Helena Hedblom.
“JCHX has been a customer of Epiroc for many years, both in Africa and Europe, and we are pleased to continue delivering innovative solutions that will help to optimize operations at Kipushi,” added Sami Niiranen, president of Epiroc’s underground division.
The Kipushi mine is owned by Kipushi Corporation, a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines of Canada and Gécamines, a DRC state-owned mining company.
The mine will be powered by clean, renewable hydro-generated electricity.
Source: www.epirocgroup.com