The first of OceanaGold’s rebuilt 789 mining trucks has arrived back at Macraes Mine after leaving the Christchurch branch in the wee hours of Monday morning.
The huge machine began the journey just before 1 am, loaded on the back of a transport truck and escorted down SH1 to Otago.
Terra’s 789 rebuild project manager, James Westerman says the entire rebuild process of the first 789 – from receiving the truck to putting it back on the road – went smoothly once approvals were confirmed in March.
“It’s been a real team effort,” he says. “We have eight techs, two apprentices, two welders, one part-time welder, a leading hand, service advisor and a project manager all working on this project, and we were able to turn it around ahead of schedule.”
“The great cross-team collaboration between the project, parts, distribution, and the CRC all contributed to the success of this first rebuild. It really has been a ‘win together’ project.”
Terra Cat has a second 789 under rebuild currently, with potential for additional rebuilds through to the end of the financial year.
OceanaGold Macraes Operation General Manager, James Isles, said choosing to rebuild the trucks rather than purchase new machinery was a “no-brainer”.
“Rebuilding these hard-working trucks with Terra Cat rather than buying new machines from Australia or the US not only saves us over $1.5 million, but it also helps to keep heavy machinery expertise and jobs here in New Zealand,” Mr Isles said. “It’s a smart decision for our regional and national economy, for our communities, and for sustainability.”
As part of the rebuild, Terra is converting the trucks from 789C powertrains to 789D powertrains to improve the uniformity of OGL’s fleet and improve fuel efficiency.
However, each of the trucks arrived in a different state for rebuild. James says parts off these trucks had already been removed and used on the rest of the Macraes truck fleet.
“There was no engine or anything in the first rebuild. As part of the work, the chassis was fully stripped and crack-tested, and the torque tube was replaced, the front of the frame was extended to convert the truck from a 789C cooling package to 789D.”
The second truck that’s currently in the workshop arrived with an engine, but this is being replaced as part of the rebuild and conversion. This second rebuild is scheduled to be completed next month.
