Four Vers-A-Trac VT650 battery-powered shield haulers were recently delivered to Shenhua mines, along with five armoured face conveyors.

The VT650s were shipped to the Shenhua Wanli coal branch during April and June 2007, with Shenhua Shendong Coal ordering a further six, due to arrive in July and August.

The shield haulers will work alongside two VT-630s and eight VT-636s previously purchased by Shenhua.

The VT650 is the latest addition to DBT’s range of ultra-heavy-duty battery-powered shield haulers and offers 45.4 tonnes of lift and tilts 1.6m from the fork face.

The control stick gives the operator intuitive control over steering and other functions, while massive lifting forks and the huge 2000Ah battery substantially reduce the time necessary to pull and place longwall roof support shields.

DBT says the vehicles have the advantages of no pollution, no noise and no heat in the working area, as well as very high torque at low speeds.

“This offers tremendous benefits in moving shields as well as positioning shields on the new face,” DBT said.

“This adds up to accurate, quick and safe face moves – which together with reliability are the major reasons why Shenhua has decided to operate a combination of Vers-A-Trac shield haulers at the longwall face and diesel shield haulers for long-distance transportation.”

In 2006, Shenhua Group produced 202.46 million tonnes of coal, with Shendong Coal accounting for 114.72Mt.