A total of 29 Terex Trucks have arrived at the jade mines of Myanmar.
A fleet of 29 Terex Trucks haulers completed an epic 10-week journey to Myanmar where they have been deployed at the jade mines to work on one of the most remote and challenging terrains.
Jade is said to be an extremely valuable commodity in Asian cultures. Kachin State in northern Myanmar is home to some of the world’s highest quality deposits, known as jadeite. These are estimated to be worth up to USD31-billion annually, almost half of the country’s GDP, and are shipped overseas for use in jewellery and other products.
Much of the extraction of the jade deposits is done by ‘boulder mining’. This is a process where the overburden material is removed to expose the rocks below, after which the jade-containing rocks are separated, washed and processed to reveal the pockets of precious jade inside.
The extraction process is far from easy. It’s a tough job for robust, reliable equipment. And this is no place for breakdowns. For this reason, when three local mine operators needed additional hauling machines to transport blasted rocks and earth 2km or more from the mine to the processing plant, they opted for Terex Trucks.
The three mining companies – Aung Hein Min Gems, YarZaHtar Ne Gems and Myanmar Thura Gems – placed an order of 19 Terex Trucks 91 tonne (t) capacity TR100s and 10 Terex Trucks 55t capacity TR60swith Yangon-based Aung Hein Min (AHM Heavy),a Terex Trucks dealer since 2013.
Aung Hein Min Gems had previously ordered six 38t capacity TA400 articulated haulers, while YarZaHtar Ne Gems already runs 20 Terex Trucks TA400 in its fleet. Choosing the right trucks for the job was the easy part. AHM Heavy had somehow to tackle the challenge of transporting the machines over 20 000km from the manufacturing plant in Motherwell, Scotland to the isolated mines of Phakant in Kachin State, northern Myanmar. The journety required all modes of transport from road, river to sea.
After 10 weeks of travelling, the trucks are now fully up and running, working almost 24/7, according toAHM Heavy’s Marcus-ZawNaingOo, only undergoing scheduled stoppages for planned maintenance and servicing. The new trucks are only operational during Myanmar’s dry season, which runs from roughly November to May. For the remainder of the year, they are stood down.
“The trucks are playing a vital role, transporting blasted rock and earth from the mine to the processing plant,” says NaingOo. “So far feedback form the client has been excellent. Our reports show outstanding availability, productivity and fuel efficiency, with no major faults, or maintenance requirements.”
