CIL orders ₹2,900-cr mining equipment

Coal India Limited (CIL) has placed ₹2,900 crore order for the purchase of 96 dumpers of 240-tonne capacity on Belarus-based mining equipment manufacturer Belaz. Dumpers are used in opencast mines and aid in the transport of bulk materials like overburden. That the company's board has given its nod to close the deal and the letter of award has been issued. The purchase package includes the cost of the dumpers and spares for eight years including one year warranty period. Belaz bagged the contract through a global tender process and the first batch of six dumpers would start rolling in within eight months of the signing of the contract. On CIL's green signal of their performance, the remaining quantity would be delivered in batches of four every month. This move is in line with improving the production and productivity in opencast mines. These dumpers would be deployed in South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) taking the total tally of the subsidiary's 240-tonne dumpers to 162, with 66 previously in operation. Of the 96 dumpers, 84 would be put into operation in the Gevra project and 12 in Kusmunda as both are mega opencast projects of SECL. CIL earlier procured 77 dumpers of 150-tonne capacity from Belaz for Gevra project and also ordered 190-tonne capacity dumpers numbering 102 from Caterpillar.