The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Metal Tech News - July 30, 2025
Liebherr T 284 haul trucks being assisted by overhead trolley at the Collahuasi copper mine in Chile.
The Collahuasi copper mine is located at 4,500 meters above sea level in the Andes Mountains of Northern Chile.
Nearly three miles above sea level in Chile's Tarapacá region, a newly installed electric trolley system is helping Liebherr haul trucks lug 800,000 pounds of copper ore out of the Collahuasi mine.
Owned and operated under a partnership between Anglo American, Glencore, and Japan Collahuasi Resources B.V., Collahuasi produces more than 550,000 metric tons (1.2 billion lb) of copper each year.
To help speed the climb and lower the fuel consumption of the Liebherr T 284 trucks hauling 360 metric tons of ore per trip out of the mine, Liebherr installed a 1,000-meter (0.6 miles) overhead trolley at the mine – a first for both the German equipment manufacturer and in Chile.
'While the Collahuasi project is the first time we've delivered a full trolley solution, we've worked extensively with trolley technology," said Oliver Weiss, executive vice president, R&D, engineering and production at Liebherr-Mining Equipment SAS. 'We've supplied 38 360-tonne trolley trucks in Panama, 15 360-tonne trolley trucks in Zambia, and 7 100-tonne trolley trucks in Austria. The combination of this experience with our in-house expertise and close collaboration with Collahuasi resulted in this excellent outcome."
This outcome goes beyond engineering and designing a trolley system at a mine located at an elevation of 4,500 meters (14,750 feet) in the Andes Mountains – an area frequented by high winds and prone to large earthquakes.
The complete trolley system for Collahuasi also included designing and installing the power system and truck hardware, as well as providing training and support for the employees at the Northern Chile copper mine.
The Collahuasi copper mine is located at 4,500 meters above sea level in the Andes Mountains of Northern Chile.
While this may be Liebherr's first complete trolley solution, the company had plenty of in-house experience and global expertise to draw from.
"We leveraged our global network to find the best possible resources for this project,' says Gonzalo Garcia, managing director of mining at Liebherr Chile. "The engineering of the trolley system's masts and catenary line took place in Chile. The transformers and the e-house that protects them were designed and built in South Africa. And auxiliary components like the tension wheels and contact and messenger wires came from various places in our international supply chain."
With Liebherr's specifications and assistance, crews at Collahuasi installed the overhead trolley system, while the German OEM retrofitted with the pantograph hardware to connect the trucks to the trolley on four T 284s at the mine site.
Liebherr has provided extensive training to Collahuasi's truck drivers to ensure the trolley line, designed to assist two trucks at a time, is used to its maximum potential.
Now that Collahuasi has assumed operational control of the trolley line, Liebherr continues to provide training support and technical expertise when needed.
"This project is a clear example of what's possible through strategic partnership," Weiss said. "We look forward to seeing the long-term results and hopefully expanding Liebherr's trolley footprint in the future."
With more than 17 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration, and technology metals.
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