Antamina’s first Komatsu 4800XPC in Peru: loading fleet and pit power notes for engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
Antamina has commissioned a Komatsu P&H 4800XPC electric rope shovel at its Peruvian copper-zinc operation, becoming the first mine in the country to run what Komatsu markets as the world’s largest shovel. The 4800XPC, typically paired with ultra-class trucks in the 290–360 t payload range, is designed for high-bench, hard-rock loading and is expected to materially lift unit productivity in Antamina’s main open pit. The move signals further electrification of the mine’s primary loading fleet, with implications for pit power distribution, maintenance planning, and operator training.
Technical Brief
- Shovel integration requires high-voltage distribution to the pit floor and robust trailing cable management.
- Ultra-class truck pairing demands optimised bench geometry and spotting distances to minimise truck queue times.
- Electric drive and large dipper capacity concentrate high instantaneous power draw on the mine substation.
- Adoption increases reliance on planned electrical and mechanical shutdown windows for major component change-outs.
- Operator training must address electric-rope-specific failure modes, swing control and crowd force management.
- Similar high-capacity electric shovels typically trigger updates to geotechnical dig limits and blast fragmentation targets.
Our Take
Komatsu appears frequently in our mining and construction coverage, from European battery-electric mini excavators (PC26E‑6) to Australian Smart Construction deployments, signalling that the 4800XPC at Antamina is part of a broader push to integrate advanced digital and automation-ready fleets across its portfolio.
Among the 671 Mining stories in our database, copper-focused pieces are often where large-scale loading equipment upgrades are reported first, suggesting Antamina’s early adoption of the 4800XPC in Peru could become a reference case for other high-tonnage copper–zinc operations in the Andes.
Recent reporting on autonomous haul testing using Komatsu HD1500 platforms indicates that Komatsu is actively proving autonomy on the haul side, which likely positions the new 4800XPC shovel at Antamina as a future candidate for tighter integration with autonomous truck fleets in large open pits.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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