28 November 2022

NEW MINING TRUCKS PART OF MAJOR INVESTMENT IN EQUIPMENT AT HVO

Meet one of the newest members of Hunter Valley Operations (HVO’s) team – Mining Truck 724. The new, state of the art, Komatsu dump truck is one of nine new trucks to arrive at HVO in 2022, with five more to arrive next year. General manager Tony Morris said the new trucks are part of […]

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NEW MINING TRUCKS PART OF MAJOR INVESTMENT IN EQUIPMENT AT HVO

28 November 2022

Meet one of the newest members of Hunter Valley Operations (HVO’s) team – Mining Truck 724.

The new, state of the art, Komatsu dump truck is one of nine new trucks to arrive at HVO in 2022, with five more to arrive next year.

General manager Tony Morris said the new trucks are part of the significant investment the mine is making in new technology and equipment to improve efficiency and provide staff with the right tools to get the job done.

He said there will be further expansion of HVO’s fleet in the coming years.

“Over five years HVO is investing around half a billion dollars in capital equipment as part of a $2 billion overall investment in operations,” Tony said.

“The new trucks are more fuel efficient, have a larger capacity, are quieter and provide better amenity features for our operators than the older fleet.”

The mining trucks largely move overburden to expose the coal underneath.

As well as new mining trucks, HVO has a new fleet of excavators. It received its second Liebherr R9800 excavator – the world’s largest excavator – in April. Five new Hitachi excavators (EX3600-7 and EX5600-7) have or will arrive in 2022 and two more will arrive next year.

A new 75 tonne Caterpillar 24 series motor grader with a 24-foot-wide blade went into service in November. A third new 18 series motor grader will be on site before the year’s end. Eleven new Caterpillar D11 dozers – one coal stockpile dozer 10 pit dozers – will start to arrive in the new year.

Tony said while the machines are important to the business, their purchase reflects HVO’s long term commitment to the region and the people it supports.

He said having modern and safe equipment and the latest technology is one of the many reasons HVO is a great place to work.

“Investing in new equipment also helps to support jobs, including local jobs. Some of the Hitachi excavators were assembled and fitted out by the team at Hitachi Muswellbrook.”

“Modern equipment reduces our impacts in relation to noise and fuel use, which is good news for the operation, our people, the broader community and the environment.

“Our capital equipment program is in line with our HVO values of thinking sharp, digging in and caring.”