Mining

2018, the Mining division achieved the highest revenues in its history. In total, it reported earnings of € 1,070 million, an increase of € 148 million or 16.1 %.

Development compared to previous year*
Turnover in € m
from 922 		( + 16.1% ) 0
Investments in € m
from 34 		( + 26.5% ) 0
Employees
from 3,448 		( + 9.7% ) 0

Turnover by sales regions

  1. European Union
    2.2%
  2. North America
    5.3%
  3. Central and South America
    16.4%
  4. Non-EU countries
    6.5%
  5. Asia and Oceania
    52.3%
  6. Africa, Near and Middle East
    17.3%

A record year for the Mining division

The upward trend in the international extraction industry that started in the previous year continued into 2018. Demand once again increased, with particularly rapid growth in the Asia-Pacific region. While for larger machines, productivity and cost per ton are crucial factors in investments, for smaller machines, especially in Asia, the purchase price is decisive.

Due to a positive overall market climate, the division was able to significantly increase sales. The trend in the Asia and Oceania sales region was particularly favourable. There were also gains in Central and South America as well as in Africa and the Near and Middle East, particularly in Panama. In North America, sales levels declined.

The T 236 is the first of its kind. Never before has a vehicle in this class been powered by a diesel-electric propulsion system.

Electrification and Liebherr diesel engines

To increase the productivity of its machines, the division equipped its T 264 and T 284 mining trucks to handle heavier payloads, which reduces their costs per tonne. In addition, the availability of the machines has been increased by various technical measures and the constant expansion of the service network.

The division made substantial progress in integrating Liebherr’s own diesel engines. For example, the R 9150 B and R 9100 B mining excavators have been reworked with the latest version of the D9512 engine and other upgrades for greater reliability. The R 9400 was also the first mining excavator with a Liebherr D98-series engine to pass the field test.

One high point of the past year was the first order for a T 236 mining truck. This 100-tonne dump truck is the first in its vehicle class with diesel-electric propulsion. It is designed for maximum power despite consuming less fuel than vehicles with mechanical propulsion systems. The development of electric drives also progressed with mining excavators. The first R 9200 E was delivered in 2018 in Germany.

The division invested in building a new Service and Reman facility in Panama which is scheduled to begin operations in 2019. Further sales increases are expected for the year ahead. The order books are already filled, and the advanced age of many mining fleets will generate plenty of additional demand.

* Restatement first time adoption of IFRS 9 / 15 / 16.