Northern Star Resources has placed an order with Sandvik for 25 units of underground mining equipment destined for its Western Australian operations. The order comprises 14 Toro LH621i loaders, 10 Toro TH663i trucks and one Sandvik DD422i development jumbo, with deliveries scheduled from June 2027 through early 2028.
Northern Star is one of Australia’s largest gold producers, operating open pit and underground mines across three production centers: Kalgoorlie and Yandal in Western Australia, and Pogo in Alaska. The new fleet will be operated and maintained by Northern Star Mining Services, the company’s wholly owned in-house mining services division — an arrangement that consolidates maintenance accountability and labor costs within the operating company rather than an external contractor.
The choice of an in-house model alongside a major capital commitment reflects a rational allocation of operational control. Equipment availability and utilization are among the strongest determinants of underground mining economics, and direct oversight of maintenance regimes typically improves lifecycle cost per ton.
The Toro LH621i and TH663i are engineered for demanding underground environments, with connectivity, real-time analytics, automation readiness and maintainability designed to support high payloads and lower operating costs per ton. For a producer of Northern Star’s scale, the data generated by these systems provides measurable inputs for fleet optimization decisions rather than relying on intuition.
“Keeping underground production moving depends on both equipment performance and the support behind it,” said Craig Johnston, vice president, sales area Australia and New Zealand, Sandvik Mining. “Our local teams will continue working closely with Northern Star throughout equipment delivery, commissioning and ongoing lifecycle management.”
The 2027–2028 delivery window aligns with Northern Star’s production planning horizon, allowing commissioning and operator training to occur without compressing schedules. For investors tracking the gold sector, fleet renewal programs of this size signal confidence in long-life mine plans and a disciplined approach to sustaining capital expenditure.
Source: https://www.e-mj.com/breaking-news/sandvik-wins-big-order-from-northern-star/
