This is the first time in Europe that a mining project has chosen a total solution from the newly extended Caterpillar mining range, with full service support as part of the package.
The deal includes four new Cat 6030 hydraulic excavators (below) – the first units of this model to land on UK shores - and 19 of the 777 off-highway trucks, The machines will be delivered during 2012 to the new Hargreaves’ surface mining division for use at the Tower Colliery open cast mine site in Hirwaun, Rhondda Cynon Taff, South Wales. The first of the four Cat 6030s has already been built up onsite in February 2012.
Hargreaves group commercial director, Kevin Dougan said: “The Tower Colliery opencast project represents a completely new model for the industry. Hargreaves Services and its joint venture partner Tower Colliery, have worked in partnership with Finning Equipment Solutions to secure investment and over 200 new jobs for the area.
“Hargreaves Services will manage the extraction of six million tonnes of coal from the 615-acre site over the next seven years. We needed to work with a partner that had the equipment, skills, resources and financial stability to fully support the equipment fleet for the whole duration of the project. The securing of the rights to the former Bucyrus distribution business and the investment Finning were prepared to make in supporting us, were both critical in this decision.”
Finning bought the former Bucyrus distribution form Caterpillar for £300m in January 2012.
Mr Dougan added: “As part of the deal we have agreed a maintenance and service agreement with defined performance levels, which gives us the confidence on productivity and equipment availability.”
Finning mining general manager John Vardy said: “We are now entering a very significant strategic relationship with Hargreaves, which we will be looking to develop further into the future. From a practical point of view, over the coming months Hargreaves will have a highly productive and efficient mining fleet. As this rolls out, we will be supporting the team on the ground with specialist operator training, maintenance planning and the new Finsight condition monitoring service, to deliver the lowest cost per tonne solution in the industry” .
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