Atlas Copco India has won its largest underground mining contract, a $16.4 million deal to supply machines to Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL).
Atlas Copco will deliver a total of 24 machines which includes face drilling rigs, long hole drilling rigs, bolting rig, loaders and trucks, to be delivered in 2012.
The deal includes a 60 tonne Minetruck MT6020, as well as 50 and 15 tonne mining trucks, making their maiden entry into the underground mining market in India.
The fleet will be used by HZL for two of its newest underground mining projects, Kayad Mines and Rampura Agucha Mines, both in Rajasthan.
Anirban Sen, business line manager underground rock excavation, HZL, called the deal a close coordination between teams in Udaipur, Pune and Sweden.
“This equipment is of higher capacity than the existing equipment in the market. HZL has invested in our products to achieve ambitious production targets.”
HZL is the world’s largest integrated producer of zinc and India’s largest producer of lead and silver.
The company also operates the world’s largest zinc producing mine called Rampura Agucha in Rajasthan, and is the world’s lowest cost producer of zinc.
HZL is part of Vedanta Group Company, the global minerals conglomerate founded by Anil Agarwal, who has a fortune of $3.5 billion and is the 15th richest person in India, according to Forbes.
