Liebherr Mining has delivered Chile’s first fully operational trolley solution, commissioning the system at the Collahuasi copper mine.
The project marks Liebherr’s first full trolley system installation in South America and represents a significant step forward in the region’s adoption of electric haulage solutions.
Located 4500m above sea level in the Tarapacá region, the Collahuasi mine – jointly owned by Anglo American, Glencore and Japan Collahuasi Resources B.V. – presents unique challenges due to extreme altitude, high winds and seismic conditions.
The 1km trolley line now supports four retrofitted Liebherr T 284 ultra-class trucks, each equipped with pantograph technology to draw electric power for uphill hauling.
The project scope included design and engineering of the infrastructure, truck modifications, commissioning, and training that is all provided by Liebherr.
“While the Collahuasi project is the first time we’ve delivered a full trolley solution, we’ve worked extensively with trolley technology,” Liebherr-Mining SAS Equipment R&D, engineering and production executive vice president Oliver Weiss said.
“The combination of this experience with our in-house expertise and close collaboration with Collahuasi resulted in this excellent outcome.”
The system’s power infrastructure features two 5.5-megawatt transformers, enabling two T 284s trucks to operate simultaneously on the line.
Global sourcing played a key role: trolley system masts and catenary lines were engineered in Chile, transformers and e-house systems came from South Africa, and auxiliary parts were sourced worldwide.
“We leveraged our global network to find the best possible resources for this project,” Liebherr Chile mining managing director Gonzalo Garcia said.
“The engineering of the trolley system’s masts and catenary line took place in Chile.”
Liebherr Chile oversaw haul road specs and infrastructure construction, while truck pantograph retrofitting was completed with support from Liebherr’s facility in Newport News, Virginia.
Comprehensive training was provided to Collahuasi operators, with Liebherr continuing to offer technical support as the mine takes full control.
“This project is a clear example of what’s possible through strategic partnership,” Weiss said. “We look forward to seeing the long-term results and hopefully expanding Liebherr’s trolley footprint in the future.”
Subscribe to Australian Mining and receive the latest news on product announcements, industry developments, commodities and more.
Subscribe to Australian Mining and receive the latest news on product announcements, industry developments, commodities and more.
