Asarco has taken delivery of the first of 14 massive haul trucks ordered as part of an expansion of the Mission mining operation in Sahuarita, which will add nearly 50 jobs.
The Komatsu 930E truck is the first of five slated for delivery by Phoenix-based Road Machinery LLC this year. The rest will be commissioned over five years.
Each truck costs more than $4.5 million and will move more than 4.5 million tons of rock per year. The trucks stand 24 feet tall and weigh about 230 tons, empty.
Acquisition of the trucks is part of Asarco's ongoing expansion and replacement of its fleet, which will increase mining by 12 percent, reduce unit costs and decrease air emissions with new environmental controls, Asarco said.
The company employs about 620 people at the mine, and the expansion's expectation of nearly 50 new jobs is up from an earlier estimate of about 20 positions, said Tom Aldrich, Asarco vice president of environmental affairs. To apply, go to www.asarco.com/job-opportunities