News

Liebherr R9600 delivered to Australian Super Pit

Northern Star Resources has taken delivery of its first Liebherr R 9600 ultra-class excavator at the Super Pit gold mine in Western Australia. The 600-tonne machine was handed over by Liebherr-Australia on 4 July and joins 17 Liebherr machines already operating across the company's mining sites. A second R 9600 is scheduled to arrive at the Super Pit in October.

The arrival of the R 9600 further expands the range of Liebherr equipment working at one of Australia's largest open-pit gold mines. Alongside the new excavator, the fleet includes several classes of Liebherr hydraulic excavators and the manufacturer's flagship PR 776 mining dozer.

Northern Star Resources first introduced Liebherr equipment in 2022 with the purchase of an R 9400 excavator. Since then, its fleet has grown to include additional R 9400s, R 9150 excavators and PR 776 dozers operating across the Super Pit and Bannockburn gold mines in Western Australia. Once the second R 9600 arrives later this year, the company will operate a total of 19 Liebherr machines across the two sites.

Brian Boitano, Executive General Manager of Sales, Marketing, Training and Solutions at Liebherr-Australia, said: "Breaking into the 600-tonne class at the Super Pit is an important step in our relationship with Northern Star Resources as, before this, we had primarily supplied 150- and 400-tonne-class solutions at the site. This delivery also reflects the continued growth of our ultra-class excavator presence in Australia and Western Australia's Goldfields."

Proven performer in Australian mining

Australia remains the largest market for Liebherr's R 9600 excavator, with the 600-tonne machine earning a reputation for fuel efficiency, reliability and high productivity in demanding mining environments.

Boitano added: "The R 9600 is the industry benchmark in the 600-tonne size class. Hands down, it can move more material than any other product in the range, with superior digging and breakout forces. Its German–French engineering also makes it the most reliable ultra-class machine in the market. And now that it comes with a Liebherr engine, we have unmatched overall fuel efficiency. Plus, we're on track to exceed one million collective operating hours for the R 9600 worldwide."

To support the introduction of the new excavator, Liebherr-Australia will provide operator and technical training for Northern Star Resources' workforce. The company has also expanded its support capabilities in Western Australia's Goldfields by increasing component and spare parts availability at its Kalgoorlie and Perth branches, while growing its Kalgoorlie-based service team.

"Liebherr-Australia has built a strong reputation for supporting large-scale mining operations," said Boitano. "As Northern Star Resources continues to expand its Liebherr fleet, we are focused on supporting their teams to help maximise machine performance across site operations."

A second R 9600 is expected to be delivered to the Super Pit in October 2026.