Nornickel and BelAZ are establishing a joint venture that will focus on the development and production of a new generation of underground mining equipment. This includes not only new diesel machines: the companies are already working on battery and hydrogen-powered equipment, and in the future, they aim to implement unmanned technologies directly in mining operations.

The first results of the project are already being tested in real conditions. In Norilsk, six MoAZ-75851 mine dump trucks and a MoAZ-4076 load-haul-dump machine are undergoing trials, while a new 45-ton BELAZ-75855 underground dump truck and a BELAZ-79550 loader with a payload capacity of 17.2 tons are being tested at the factory. The cooperation has already moved beyond the design of individual prototypes and into equipment testing.

The next stage involves moving away from the traditional power scheme. The partners have begun developing electric and hydrogen-powered machines, with pilot industrial trials of battery-powered quarry dump trucks scheduled for 2027. Simultaneously, a battery-powered load-haul-dump machine is undergoing factory tests, and prospective projects include self-propelled vehicles for transporting people and goods.

A separate direction is the hydrogen power unit directly on the mining machine. Nornickel and BelAZ are considering the use of palladium in the catalysts of the unit, which will be able to generate hydrogen on board the equipment and use it as an energy source. In combination with unmanned control, this changes the very concept of an underground machine.