Фото: БелАЗ
BELAZ and Nornickel will establish a joint venture. The relevant agreement was signed on Monday by the Belarusian company’s CEO Siarhei Lesin and Nornickel head Vladimir Potanin.
It provides for the establishment of a company to produce mining equipment, introduce unmanned technologies, as well as a company with a full-service repair facility aimed at developing the production, repair and maintenance of underground mining equipment.
BELAZ and Nornickel began active cooperation in underground mining equipment in 2022. The results so far include six test mining dump trucks (MoAZ-75851) and the first load-haul-dump machine (MoAZ-4076 LHD). They are undergoing trials in Norilsk. Factory tests are also currently underway for the newest underground machinery complex for loading and transporting mined material — a 45-ton mining dump truck (BELAZ-75855) and a loader with a 17.2-ton payload capacity (BELAZ-79550 LHD).
In addition to conventional diesel-powered machines, BELAZ is already working on equipment using alternative energy sources. Next year, pilot industrial tests of battery-powered haul trucks are scheduled to begin, while a battery-powered load-haul-dump machine is undergoing factory tests.