In August and September, Sandvik reported selling two fleets of loaders and trucks to two unrelated mines. The supplier sold a 27-unit fleet to Orken LLP for the Atasu operation at the West Karazhal mine in Kazakhstan. Separately, Sandvik sold 19 Toro trucks and loaders to the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex, a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines and Zijin Mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Sandvik and the new fleet at Atasu will support the transition from manual to mechanized mining. The order includes 13 Toro TH430 trucks, five Toro LH410 loaders, three Sandvik DL321 longhole drills, two Sandvik DD311 development drills, two Toro TH320 trucks and one Toro LH307 loader, as well as a Rhino 600 raise boring machine. Sandvik will also supply maintenance kits, a rock tools package, training and support.

Initially, 300 Orken employees will receive the training. “The program will cover equipment operation and maintenance, safety, machine systems, diagnostics and troubleshooting, with simulator-based training for selected loader and drill operators,” the supplier said. “Sandvik will also provide on-site training and operational support during equipment commissioning and start-up.”

Orken said Sandvik won the order due to the high quality of its underground equipment, its local service support, and the preexisting partnership between the supplier and the miner. “Just as importantly, Sandvik will work with us to build the skills and expertise of our existing workforce, helping our employees play an important role in the next stage of the mine’s development,” said CEO Makhmut Mustafin.

In operation for 70 years, Atasu reportedly has the capacity to produce up to 2.2 million tons/year of iron ore. It is located in the Ulytau Region of central Kazakhstan.

At Kamoa-Kakula in the DRC, the new 19-unit fleet will bring the entire Sandvik fleet at the mine to more than 100 pieces of equipment. The order spans 12 Toro TH663i trucks and seven Toro LH621i loaders, two of which will be equipped with AutoMine.

Kamoa Copper ordered three additional AutoMine Lite systems in May to support the new fleet. Together with the mine’s existing AutoMine Lite installation, the new systems will expand Kamoa-Kakula’s autonomous production capability to four AutoMine Lite systems.

Leadership at the mine said the strong performance of the existing Sandvik fleet merited the purchase of more of the same or similar equipment. “The trucks and loaders have consistently delivered the availability, productivity and reliability we need to support one of the world’s leading underground copper operations,” said Annebel Oosthuizen, managing director at Kamoa Copper S.A. “Sandvik equipment gives us confidence that we can maintain safer, efficient and predictable production while supporting our long-term plans.”

The order is reportedly valued at $29 million. The first four trucks are expected to arrive in Q4 2026, followed by 13 units in Q1 2027. The final two loaders will be delivered in Q3 2027.

Sandvik established its operations in the DRC in 2019 to support Kamoa-Kakula. The company has a dedicated technical support team at the mine and operates a site-based vendor-managed inventory facility to help maximize equipment availability and productivity.

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