Reliable, high-performing machines for today and tomorrow
The R 9400 – with its reputation for reliability and incredible productivity as well as its ability to be repowered from an internal combustion engine to an electric powertrain – was a perfect fit for Norsk Hydro’s Brazilian operations.
The two R 9400s delivered to Norsk Hydro’s Mineração Paragominas site are currently the largest Liebherr excavators operating in all of Brazil!
Norsk Hydro has relied on Liebherr excavators for its Brazilian operations for nearly 20 years; ever since Liebherr Brasil LTDA (Liebherr Brasil) delivered three R 994 excavators in 2006 to help develop Mineração Paragominas, Norsk Hydro’s bauxite mine in the Brazilian state of Pará. A few years later, when production had started to ramp up, Norsk Hydro added five R 9250s to its fleet in order to continue meeting its production targets.
‘We’ve worked alongside Norsk Hydro at Mineração Paragominas for nearly twenty years,’ says Jair Machado, divisional commercial manager, mining equipment, Liebherr Brasil. ‘Together, we have learned to navigate the changing needs of the mine and meet the ever-evolving demands of production levels, maintenance and safety requirements and ore price oscillations. When our customers need something new or different from us because their circumstances have changed, we just say “yes” and adapt ourselves to meet their needs.’
Mineração Paragominas produces 11.4 million tonnes of bauxite ore per year. As such, having powerful equipment on site to handle the sheer volume of material is crucial. For many years, Norsk Hydro has enjoyed the durability, reliability and productivity of Liebherr’s excavators. And so, when the company decided to introduce larger excavators to its Brazilian fleet, it chose to invest in two R 9400s – Liebherr’s 400-tonne class machine with a reputation for reliability. These brand-new R 9400s are the largest Liebherr excavators currently at work in Brazil.
Preparing for an electric future
Liebherr Brasil’s sales team worked closely with Norsk Hydro’s operations manager to ensure the customer walked away with the best possible option for their needs.
There was considerable collaboration between Liebherr Brasil’s sales team and Norsk Hydro’s operations manager to ensure that the customer walked away with the best possible option for their specific needs. In the end, while the R 9400’s respected reputation for reliability and all of its technical features contributed to Norsk Hydro’s purchasing of this model, there was one thing in particular that was most important: its ability to be repowered to electric drive.
Norsk Hydro is currently working on a road map for decarbonising its operations and electrification is one of the many initiatives that the company is exploring. This means the company will need zero emission solutions for its machines in the pit, which is what makes the R 9400 a perfect fit.
‘We are always looking for innovations that can bring value to our customers’ operations,’ says Machado.
The electric conversion kit available for the R 9400 makes it possible for customers like Norsk Hydro to gain the benefits of Liebherr’s excavators today while they work towards electrifying their loading fleets. These kits provide all of the parts and components necessary to transform a diesel-powered excavator to an electric-powered one. Because of Liebherr’s modular approach to its large excavators, like the R 9400, these parts and components are generally the same for each customer. However, there may be some small technical variations between machines, depending on the specific build of a customer’s diesel excavator and whether they opt to use Liebherr’s cable reel solution on their newly repowered machine.
Liebherr’s modular approach to its large excavators also helps to simplify the repowering process. With up to
70 % parts commonality between Liebherr’s diesel and electric-drive excavators, the repower process can be completed in a matter of weeks.
‘We’re excited about what the future holds for our relationship with Norsk Hydro, especially as the company embarks on its decarbonisation journey,’ Machado enthuses.