OREANDA-NEWS. Corum's Infrastructure Project Division has manufactured and shipped two upgraded AM8D locomotives to the world's biggest nickel and palladium producer Norilsk Nickel.

“We have equipped the locomotives with heavy duty batteries. This will help our clients to increase the operating time of locomotives to two shifts and cut electricity costs by 30%,” said Director of Infrastructure Project Division Vladimir Merzlikin. “Our locomotives have been tested in harsh operating environments and recognised as premium vehicles in the markets of Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine.”

The locomotives are made of a new higher-quality material - the structural steel that extends the useful life of their components. The upgraded vehicle has enhanced haulage and load bearing capacity and is safer thanks to a modern lighting control system with a voltage stabilizer and an electronic sound alarm.

AM8D locomotives are designed to pull mine cars on underground narrow-track railways in the tunnels with a high gas and dust hazard level.

AM8D mining electric locomotives of an explosion-proof design are a popular underground transport in the mining industry produced since the 1960s. They have been improved several times over the years, with the last upgrade done in 2014. Today Ukrainian coal mines operate about 1,200 AM8D locomotives.

Corum Group is an expert in mining business.

The company focuses on hi-tech integrated solutions, production and maintenance of equipment used in mining, processing and transportation of mineral resources, as well as construction of mines.

Corum operates seven heavy engineering plants and repair bays in Ukraine and Russia and sales offices in Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Poland and Vietnam.