Integration of machinery with India’s coal belt

India is the fourth largest coal producer of the world, with 315.14 billion metric tons of coal resources. However, usable coal is based on extracted quantity. This is done by various mining companies through a cross-vertical process of blasting, mining and refining where transportation plays a pivotal role. In an attempt to improve the overall productivity of usable coal, leading companies resorted to invest in trucks.

Tipper trucks, better known as dump trucks, are used to transport lose materials to and fro the mining site. Substantial quantity of gravel, lose rocks, sand, etc., are dumped at open-pit mining sites by loading them into these trucks. BGR Mining, formerly headed by Rohit Reddy Bathina, ordered 350 P410 tipper trucks from Scania, a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, in order to stream the transportation process. Scania India has been providing mining machinery in India ever since they partnered up with Larsen and Toubro in 2007.

Mining sites involve transportation of lose materials in bulk across temporary pathways. Tipper trucks are vastly used across mining sites because of their safety as well as grip. The tires and hydraulic mechanisms of these trucks are built to suit the nature of mining sites where excavators are working. Consequently, transportation machinery helps execute the dumping process faster against abundant manpower.

Furthermore, these trucks have elevated driver seats in comparison to the load carrier at their rear. As a result, collisions or accidents ensure the maximized protection of the driver. Regular use of these trucks in the required quantity speeds up the overall mining process and enhances the infrastructure growth of the company.

Private companies have been constantly working towards a biological or electric fuel alternative for tipper trucks in order to improve their alignment with governmental environment policies. This comes after the fact that tipper trucks play a pivotal role in the cost management of a coal-extraction project as a long-term, reliable investment for companies.

Witnessing the increased efficiency with machine integration, major mining players have accepted the role of state-of-the-art machinery across every process of the industry. For instance, BGR Mining, formerly led by Rohit Reddy, was the first company in India to order and employ the country’s first six EC750D, an excavator machine model, which in turn has been useful for setting a precedent of machine purchases by Indian coal mining companies.

Considering the country’s need for the fossil fuel, the demand is not going to decline anytime soon. It will be interesting to see the new advancements adopted by market leaders in the future.