Sandvik Mining has secured a large order from Aris Mining to supply underground loaders, trucks and multiple development, production and longhole drill rigs for the Marmato gold mine expansion in Colombia. The fleet will support deeper underground mining below the existing operation, where ramp haulage and high-intensity stope production will demand high-availability loading and haulage units. For mine planners and engineers, the deal signals a shift towards more mechanised, drill-and-blast stoping at Marmato, with corresponding implications for ground support, ventilation and power distribution design.

Ausenco has secured the EPCM contract for Rex Minerals’ Hillside copper-gold project on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, about 150 km west of Adelaide, one of the country’s largest undeveloped copper assets. The mandate covers full engineering, procurement and construction management for the greenfield operation, positioning Ausenco to define plant layout, materials handling systems and tailings and water management infrastructure. Geotechnical and civil design decisions at Hillside will be closely watched, given its scale and coastal setting with associated foundation, groundwater and environmental constraints.

EPCA has signed an agreement to convert a Caterpillar 988 wheel loader to full battery-electric drive for EMJC, delivering a complete electric powertrain retrofit rather than a new OEM unit. The E-988 project will draw on EPCA’s prior experience electrifying large mining assets, targeting zero tailpipe emissions and reduced diesel-related maintenance on a high-duty-cycle load-and-haul machine. For mine operators, the conversion pathway signals growing options to decarbonise existing medium–large wheel loader fleets without immediate fleet replacement.