Grid-connected loading fleets are back on the agenda for long-life operations.
For decades, the electric rope shovel was the backbone of large open-pit mines. Cable-powered, built like a bridge and designed to run for decades, it loaded the biggest trucks in the world at the lowest cost per tonne. Then, through the 2000s and 2010s, many Australian operations shifted toward large diesel hydraulic excavators, valuing their mobility, flexibility and faster deployment.
Now the pendulum is swinging back. With decarbonisation targets tightening and diesel costs under scrutiny, grid-connected loading tools, including rope shovels and electric hydraulic excavators, are firmly back on the agenda for long-life operations.
Why loading is an easy electrification win
Haul trucks get most of the attention in mining electrification, but they are the hard part of the problem. Trucks move constantly, cover long distances and need either large batteries, trolley assist or both. Battery-electric haulage is advancing, but it is still a major technical and infrastructure undertaking.
Loading tools are different. A shovel or large excavator spends most of its life working within a small area of the pit, moving slowly between faces. That makes a trailing cable practical, and it means the machine can draw power directly from the grid or site power network with no battery required. The technology is mature: electric rope shovels have been in service for generations, and electric hydraulic excavators are now offered across the ultra-class range.
For sites with access to grid power or growing on-site renewables, swapping a diesel loading tool for an electric one removes a significant source of Scope 1 emissions with relatively low technology risk.
Australian operators are already moving
Electric loading is gaining ground in Australia. At its Yandi mine in Western Australia, BHP deployed an electric excavator in 2024 to test whether it could replace diesel machinery in iron ore operations. The machine was a Liebherr R 9400 E, BHP’s first electric excavator.
Fortescue has gone further, committing to a large-scale zero-emission fleet. Its deal with Liebherr covers 475 zero-emission machines, including around 360 autonomous battery-electric trucks, 55 electric excavators and 60 battery-powered dozers. Fortescue has also ordered cable-electric blasthole drill rigs from Epiroc, part of an A$350 million order of autonomous and electric surface equipment.
These moves are building confidence across the industry that grid-connected loading tools can be deployed at scale in Australian conditions.
The case for the rope shovel
Electric hydraulic excavators are the most common choice for sites making the switch today, but rope shovels have specific advantages for the right operation.
Low operating cost. Rope shovels are mechanically simpler in the digging motion, with fewer hydraulic components to maintain. In high-volume, consistent digging conditions, they can deliver very low cost per tonne.
Long life. Rope shovels are built for decades of service, often outlasting several generations of haul trucks. For mines with long remaining lives, that durability can make the high upfront cost easier to justify.
High productivity. Large rope shovels move very large dipper loads and are well suited to loading ultra-class trucks in bulk waste and ore.
Energy efficiency. Modern rope shovels use advanced drive systems that can recover energy during parts of the dig cycle, reducing net power consumption.
The trade-offs
Rope shovels are not the right answer for every pit, and the reasons many sites moved away from them still apply.
Mobility. Rope shovels are slow to relocate and are best suited to large, open benches with predictable mine plans. Sites with frequent face moves, narrow benches or selective mining often prefer the flexibility of hydraulic excavators.
Selectivity. Hydraulic excavators generally offer better digging control, making them more suitable for selective mining in variable orebodies where dilution matters.
Infrastructure. Grid-connected loading tools need high-voltage power distribution in the pit, including substations, switch houses, trailing cables and cable management. Planning power reticulation into the mine design is essential.
Capital and lead times. Rope shovels are major capital items with long lead times, and they are typically assembled on site. They suit long-life operations with stable plans better than short-life or uncertain projects.
Power supply. The emissions benefit depends on where the electricity comes from. Sites on gas-fired or diesel power stations see smaller gains than those connected to a cleaner grid or backed by on-site solar, wind and storage.
Running a cable in the pit
Trailing cable management is one of the biggest operational changes for sites new to electric loading. High-voltage cables must be moved safely as the machine advances, protected from damage by trucks, dozers and rockfall, and crossed safely by mobile equipment.
Sites that do this well invest in clear procedures, dedicated cable handling equipment, cable crossings and ramps, isolation and lockout systems, and training for operators and electricians. Electrical safety is critical, and high-voltage work must be planned and managed with the same rigour as any other major hazard.
Mine planning also changes. Bench layouts, power routes and shovel moves need to be planned together, so that cable runs remain practical and the loading tool is not constrained by power access.
Where electric loading fits best
Grid-connected rope shovels and electric excavators tend to make the most sense for operations that share a few characteristics.
Long remaining mine life, often 15 years or more, to recover the capital investment.
Large, consistent benches and high production rates, particularly in bulk iron ore, coal and copper.
Access to grid power or significant on-site renewable generation.
Clear decarbonisation targets, where reducing diesel use has strategic and financial value.
A mine plan stable enough to support power infrastructure and cable management.
What to watch
The next few years will show how far the shift goes. Key indicators include new electric loading tool orders and deployments in Australia, progress on trolley assist and battery-electric haulage that complements electric loading, the growth of on-site renewables and grid connections at major mine sites, and how operators balance rope shovels against electric hydraulic excavators in their fleet mix.
For many long-life operations, the question is no longer whether to electrify loading, but which tool and when. The rope shovel, once seen as yesterday’s technology, may turn out to be one of the simplest ways to cut emissions in the pit.
Looking for electrical, high-voltage, cable management or loading equipment specialists? Search the Mining FM supplier directory to find service providers by category and location across Australia.
Sources:
Australian Mining (Dec 2025) via Magzter – Mining’s electric revolution: https://www.magzter.com/fr/stories/business/Australian-Mining/MININGS-ELECTRIC-REVOLUTION
Global Mining Review – Liebherr delivers BHP’s first electric excavator: https://globalminingreview.com/tag/australian-mining-news/?page=19
Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology International – Fortescue and Liebherr: https://www.electrichybridvehicletechnology.com/features/feature-fortescue-and-liebherr-to-deploy-475-zero-emission-machines-across-australian-mines.html
Mining.com – Epiroc A$350M order from Fortescue: https://www.mining.com/epiroc-wins-largest-order-in-history-with-a350m-contract-from-fortescue/
