New Cat 994K brings 150% improvement in material movement efficiency and reduced carbon footprint for Batchfire Resources’ Callide Mine

We have retired our trusty Cat 994 after 100,000 hours of trouble-free use, replacing it with a more efficient, safer, high-productivity Cat 994K. 

The upgrade was made under our joint initiative with Hastings Deering to modernise our pre-strip mining fleet, future-proofing our mine operations with the latest technology. 

Our new 994K was customised with an oversized bucket, offering a massive 40 cubic metre capacity, generating 150% more material movement without increasing carbon emissions. 

“There’s a huge difference in payload. It used to take us 10 buckets to load a Cat 789 truck on the ROM. The new 994K, we can do that in four,” said Batchfire Resources Superintendent Mobile – Engineering and Maintenance Daniel Boal. 

Batchfire has already seen a reduction in emissions, as well as a lower cost per tonne on the ROM, despite the 994K featuring 500hp more power than its predecessor.  

However, it isn’t just more powerful and productive, it also offers greatly improved operator comfort with its new high-cab design, air-suspended seat, and lower noise emissions. 

“It’s a beautiful piece of machinery, the cab’s wonderfully comfortable, spacious, and the machine itself delivers great performance and power,” said Batchfire Resources Operator / Trainer and Assessor, Adam Burling. 

 The 994K takes safety to another level at the Callide Mine, offering improved access, visibility, and reducing tailpipe emissions – improving air quality and keeping our mine site safe. 

Mr Boal said the investment in new machinery ensured a more sustainable and efficient ROM operation. 

“On a ROM, what you need is a reliable loader, it’s probably one of the most critical parts of the mine,” he said. “We’ve got 500 horsepower more in the new 994, so we can do it quicker and more efficiently. 

“This journey started in 1993. The old 994 has pretty much been in service the whole time. The way Caterpillar build things, they are made to last; they’re built for a long-term investment. It was an easy decision in the end to go for the new 994K loader.” 

Check out the video below of our new Cat 994K in action! 

 

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