Gold loses some luster after Trump’s decisive win
Gold’s slide is a marked turnaround for a commodity that had surged by more than 30% in the year leading up to the US vote.
Epiroc has won a large order for equipment, including battery-electric machines and automation solutions, from the Canadian Malartic partnership, that will be used in a major new underground gold mine currently under construction – the Odyssey mine in Malartic, Quebec, which will become one of Canada’s largest gold mines.
The Canadian Malartic is a 50:50 joint venture between Yamana Gold and Agnico Eagle Mines.
The Epiroc equipment includes a variety of drill rigs, loaders and mine trucks. Some of the machines will be battery powered. Automation features include Minetruck and Scooptram, which are part of Epiroc’s Sixth Sense portfolio of digital solutions. By combining these solutions with Epiroc’s traffic management system, material handling is optimized within the mine, bringing benefits such as virtually eliminating the risk of collisions. The equipment order also includes education and training using simulators.
“The Canadian Malartic partnership is taking a massive next step with the new underground mine where our battery-electric and other advanced machines with state-of-the-art automation and traffic management solutions will help optimize safety and productivity. Epiroc and the Canadian Malartic partnership have a history of successful co-operation, and we look forward to continue contributing to their success,” Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s president and CEO, stated.
This is the second equipment order from the Canadian Malartic partnership. Epiroc also won a large order for drill rigs, loaders and mine trucks in the third quarter of 2021. Epiroc will also provide service and spare parts, as well as expertise on electrification solutions.
The Odyssey mine is located just west of the Canadian Malartic open pit gold mine, which is still in operation, and to which Epiroc in previous years has provided powerful Pit Viper surface drill rigs.
“Over the years, Epiroc has clearly demonstrated its willingness to be a leader in the technical evolution of mining equipment, whether in electrification or automation. Obviously, this transition will not happen by itself. We are privileged that Epiroc has proposed us a collaborative approach in order to effectively integrate their equipment into the Odyssey mine and actively participate in this evolution. The benefits from this collaboration will contribute to making mines even safer and jobs more accessible in the field,” Patrick Mercier, general manager of the Odyssey mine, added.
The equipment ordered during the first quarter includes battery-electric versions of the Boltec rock drill, Simba production drill and Boomer jumbo for face drilling. It also includes an Easer raise borer, Scooptram loaders and Minetruck haulers. The machines will be equipped with Epiroc’s telematics system Certiq, which allows for intelligent monitoring of machine performance and productivity in real time.
