First Electric Excavator Begins Work at Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine
The use of the electric hydraulic excavator with a bucket capacity of 27 m3 will increase the efficiency of stripping operations and have a positive impact on the environment
The Komatsu PC 5500 excavator commissioned at the Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine is designed for overburden excavation, with a monthly capacity is 600,000 m3.
The excavator is equipped with two electric motors, each with a power of 900 kW at 1800 rpm, which reduces the loading cycle time and ensures that its work can be carried out at high speed. The equipment is connected to a power from the new Kiyzasskaya electric substation, which was commissioned at the mine in 2023.
The Komatsu PC 5500 excavator weighs more than 500 tonnes and is comparable to a three-story building in height. Due to its huge size, the equipment was delivered to the mine in parts.
With its arrival, the overall production performance of the company will grow significantly:
“The efficiency of electric-powered machines is much higher than those powered by diesel engines. When using such equipment, the cost of extracting one cubic meter of overburden is lower. We have completed large-scale electrification of the Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine, thanks to which we will increase the amount of equipment powered by electricity. And this, in turn, will increase productivity and reduce emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere,” says Irina Blok, the Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine’s chief ecologist.
Operating the excavator requires a team of two people: a machinist and an assistant machinist. The cabin provides comfortable conditions for efficient operation. The excavator control process is automated. The machine is insensitive to temperature and works equally well in severe cold and heat.
As part of its program to increase production, the Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine is expanding its fleet of mining equipment, including excavators with large bucket volumes. In the near future, specialists will begin assembling three electric EKG excavators manufactured in Russia with bucket capacities of 12 m3.