Liebherr completes first repower for Yancoal

Liebherr-Australia successfully completed the world’s first repower of two R 9800 excavators for Yancoal at the Mt Thorley Warkworth (MTW) coal mine in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley in November last year.

The project replaced the excavators’ existing engines with Liebherr’s D9812 12-cylinder engines.

The repower began at Liebherr-Australia’s Mt Thorley facility, where the D9812 engines were prepared before being transported to MTW for integration.

“To realise this significant achievement, the team had to face their share of challenges, including unfavourable weather, while maintaining a steadfast focus on safety and quality,” Liebherr-Australia Mount Thorley facility service manager Ben Carlyle said.

“The success of this project speaks to the strength of our partnership with Yancoal and the dedication of everyone involved across multiple departments.

“Repowering two R 9800s was no small feat, but the finished product stands as a testament to the expertise and resilience of the team.”

Carlyle also mentioned that the milestone marked an exciting moment for Mt Thorley, shaping future opportunities in NSW.

“The teamwork, quality and professionalism from the MTW project managers, planners, supervisors and technicians working alongside the Mt Thorley Liebherr team was the basis for the success of this world-first field repower,” Yancoal MTW maintenance manager Warwick Gloster said.

The benefits of the D98 engines are already evident in Yancoal’s fleet, where a R 9400 fitted with a D9812 engine has operated for nearly two years at Moolarben coal operations.

An seperate R 9600 fitted with two D9812 engines was delivered in late 2024, with another arriving in February 2025.

These additions bring Yancoal’s total of Liebherr machines powered by D98 engines to nine.

“The first unit, EX322, has achieved not only a four per cent fuel burn reduction in the first three months but set a global production record for highest monthly output of 1.752 million BCM [bank cubic metres] in January of this year,” Gloster said.

“This was on the back of some amazing maintenance statistics: 96.6 per cent availability and 147 hours MTBF [mean time between failures] with an 84.2 per cent utilisation average for the same month – all of which surpassed the previous global monthly record of 1.6 million BCM set by its sister machine, EX321, in August 2024.

“Thanks to Liebherr’s repower program, customers all over the world can modernise their large Liebherr excavators and trucks with these cutting-edge engines and experience the improved fuel efficiency, enhanced productivity and decreased maintenance and operational expenses for themselves.”

Liebherr’s repower program allows customers to modernise their large excavators, improving productivity and simplifying maintenance through a single point of contact for machine upkeep.