Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    AllGeotechnicalMiningInfrastructureMaterialsHazardsEnvironmentalSoftwarePolicy
    Projects
    Product
    Sustainability

    Epiroc African auto cable-electric drills: integration and power design notes for mines

    March 20, 2026|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    First reported on International Mining – News

    30 Second Briefing

    Epiroc has secured a SEK380 million (US$40.7 million) order in Africa for a fleet of autonomous, cable-electric Pit Viper 275 E blasthole drill rigs, booked in Q1 2026. The Pit Viper 275 E platform supports fully autonomous drilling and high-precision blasthole control, with electric drive reducing diesel use and associated ventilation and fuel logistics. The deal signals accelerating deployment of large-scale electric drill fleets in African surface mines, with implications for mine power distribution design and autonomous drill–fleet integration.

    Technical Brief

    • Autonomous drilling capability demands precise GPS/RTK coverage and reliable mine-wide wireless communications.
    • Cable-electric rigs remove on-board diesel engines, cutting heat load and mine ventilation demand at the pattern.
    • Power demand from multiple rigs will drive substation sizing, feeder routing and redundancy on the pit rim.
    • Autonomous operation enables tighter burden and spacing tolerances, improving fragmentation and downstream crusher performance.
    • Electric drive allows more consistent rotary speed and bit load, stabilising penetration rates and hole quality.
    • Reduced diesel logistics simplifies haul road traffic management and lowers fuel storage and bunding requirements.
    • Similar large-scale electric drill deployments will require integration with mine microgrid or IPP power strategies.

    Our Take

    Alongside Epiroc’s planned acquisition of Johannesburg-based Eventspec, this large African autonomous and electric fleet order suggests the company is building both installed base and local aftermarket capability in the region, which should reduce lifecycle risk for operators considering similar conversions.

    In our database of 1104 Mining stories, Epiroc features repeatedly across automation, dynamic charging (via BluVein testing) and ground support partnerships, indicating that this African order is part of a broader strategy to lock in multi-technology supply positions rather than just selling standalone drill rigs.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    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.

    Related Articles

    Sasquatch Resources’ Mount Sicker waste rock: design and risk notes for mine engineers
    Mining
    about 6 hours ago

    Sasquatch Resources’ Mount Sicker waste rock: design and risk notes for mine engineers

    Sasquatch Resources is targeting roughly 300,000 tonnes of sulphide-bearing waste rock at the historic Mount Sicker copper-gold district on Vancouver Island, where legacy piles with a neutralisation potential of 0.2 and open shafts up to 200 feet deep continue to generate acid runoff and physical hazards. Modern sampling of the surface waste has returned average grades of about 2 g/t gold plus copper, silver and zinc, and the company plans to crush and process the material using density and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) ore-sorting in a closed-loop, reagent-free circuit. Because the project involves large-scale reprocessing without new mining, Sasquatch is working with regulators to craft a bespoke permitting pathway that could be replicated across an estimated 2,000 legacy mine sites in British Columbia.

    Mining companies’ new technology roadmaps: ERP design lessons for project teams
    Mining
    about 7 hours ago

    Mining companies’ new technology roadmaps: ERP design lessons for project teams

    Mining companies are redrawing 2026 technology roadmaps around cloud ERP platforms such as SAP, shifting from legacy spreadsheets and siloed systems to a single financial and operational backbone spanning finance, capital management, procurement, supply chain and maintenance. Clean-core architectures with extensibility and open interfaces are being used to plug in geology asset management, environmental monitoring and safety applications without heavy customisation, cutting technical debt and easing upgrades. With harmonised master data and automated consolidations delivering near real-time views of cash, capex and asset performance, miners can support AI-driven predictive maintenance and tighter working-capital control across multi-jurisdictional portfolios.

    Mining
    about 9 hours ago

    Echion XNO® battery launch with GUS: implications for mine electrification

    Echion has launched a commercial range of fast-charging, high‑power lithium‑ion batteries using its niobium‑based XNO® anode technology, produced in partnership with GUS Technology at GUS’s Zhongli manufacturing facility in Taiwan. The XNO® chemistry targets applications needing very high charge rates and power density, such as mining haul trucks, drills and underground fleets where current graphite‑anode packs struggle with rapid cycling and peak load demands. For mine electrification projects, the move signals growing availability of alternative anode chemistries that can better tolerate high C‑rates and harsh duty cycles.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    Construction

    Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.