GMA has taken delivery of Australia’s first Volvo EC950E, a 90 tonne, heavy duty excavator at its mine site in Port Gregory, Australia in April this year. 

GMA CEO Stephen Gobby said the addition of the state-of-the-art excavator which stands close to 5m tall and stretch’s over 13.5m will enable the Port Gregory mine to increase production and efficiency with its high capacity 5.6m³ bucket. 

“Introducing the Volvo EC950E, the first of its kind in Australia, to our Port Gregory operation is part of a broader global growth strategy. 

“Investing in our local operations with advanced equipment will enable GMA to keep up with growing global demand and provide the highest quality product to customers around the globe,” he said. 

“The excavator, which includes the latest in technology to ensure safe, responsive and reliable operation for our workforce will increase the efficiency of production.

and supports the future expansion of our operations,” he continued. 

“As we experience significant global expansion, GMA’s Port Gregory and Geraldton operations continue to play a central role in the supply of GMA's high performance garnet to customers around the globe,” said Mr Gobby. 

The non-hazardous abrasive mineral sand mined in Port Gregory is processed on site, then transported to the Group’s Geraldton plant for final processing before being distributed to customers across the globe.

Since commencing operations at Port Gregory in 1973, GMA has exported over five million metric tonnes of the highest quality garnet to customers in over 80 countries worldwide.

By Stephanie Cheong, Perth