The first BELAZ-79550 new generation underground loader has entered factory tests. The 17.2-ton capacity machine was created for work in underground workings according to the requirements of "Nornickel".

The load-haul-dump (LHD) machine received a 480 hp (353 kW) engine and a bucket with a nominal volume of 9 m³. The manufacturer expects that the combination of power and a spacious bucket will allow faster loading and transportation of large volumes of rock mass.

For work in confined spaces, the LHD was equipped with an articulated frame with a folding angle of 42.5 degrees. The design should provide the machine with the necessary maneuverability when moving through mine workings.

BELAZ also developed a separate spacious cabin for the new machine. The equipment includes a collision control system and an intelligent monitoring system of its own design.

When creating the BELAZ-79550, the manufacturer maximized the use of components from enterprises in Belarus and Russia. Currently, the machine is undergoing factory tests according to a program that BELAZ developed jointly with the future consumer.

The appearance of the BELAZ-79550 is associated with a joint program of BELAZ and "Nornickel" for the development of underground mining equipment. In July, the companies agreed to send a 17.2-ton loader and a 45-ton BELAZ-75855 underground dump truck for pilot industrial tests in the mines of the Polar Division.