Liebherr Chile delivers PR 776 G8 mining dozers to SQM Nueva Victoria iodine mine
Liebherr Chile has sold and commissioned two PR 776 G8 mining dozers equipped with the LiReCon teleoperation system for SQM at the Nueva Victoria iodine mine in northern Chile.
Since their delivery to SQM, the PR 776 G8 dozers have delivered positive results for the world’s largest iodine producer. The pushing power and fuel efficiency of the PR 776 G8 – the largest hydrostatic dozer on the market – has been a welcome addition to the Nueva Victoria fleet, the company says.
“During its first months of operation, we witnessed the PR 776 G8’s strong pushing power, smooth operation, good stability and low diesel consumption,” Nelson Torres, Operation Vice President of SQM.
Liebherr Chile has worked alongside SQM since two R 9200 excavators were delivered to the Nueva Victoria iodine mine in 2019. SQM also received the first R 9300 excavator in South America in late 2024, with a second unit delivered in October 2025. The addition of these PR 776 G8s and the L 586 XPower wheel loaders brings the number of Liebherr machines in SQM’s fleet to eight.
SQM made the decision to incorporate LiReCon into its Nueva Victoria site for two main reasons: to be ahead of the curve in terms of innovation and technological advancements that contribute to the company’s day-to-day operations and to improve operator comfort and safety, allowing work from outside the mine, Liebherr says.
Torres added: “We are pioneers. We will carry out a strong training program to offer this technology to our operators so they can command the dozers from the comfort of the LiReCon teleoperation stand – making their experience on shift quieter and more pleasant while also reducing their risk exposure. All while using a new technology that improves productivity and continues with the vision of making Nueva Victoria mine a better place to work.”
LiReCon, short for Liebherr Remote Control, consists of a teleoperation control stand and machine-side installations including multiple cameras, microphones and sensors. These provide operators with multi-angle visual coverage and real-time audio feedback, giving a level of situational awareness beyond conventional cab operation.
Markus Wittwer, Head of Sales for the PR 776 and mining at Liebherr-Werk Telfs GmbH, says: “Developed at Liebherr-Werk Telfs, the LiReCon teleoperation system represents the next generation of safe and efficient mining operations. By combining this innovative technology with the PR 776 G8 crawler dozers, operators can control the machines remotely from a secure environment, maintaining full precision and performance even in high-risk areas.”
As this is the first time that PR 776 G8s have been deployed at Nueva Victoria, the dozers will initially go to work with operators in the cab to give the on-site team a chance to familiarise themselves with the machine up close. The dozers’ LiReCon capabilities will be activated in the coming months, enabling safe operation in challenging areas within the mine, which include zones with geotechnical instability, proximity to highwalls or dumps and environments with increased dust or heat. Once ‘turned on’, the teleoperators system will also support rapid operator shift changes at the teleoperation stand, helping reduce idle time and improve machine utilisation.
While SQM will primarily be using LiReCon with its new PR 776 G8 dozers, the system’s design allows for future integration with other machines, including excavators and cranes.
Liebherr Chile, Liebherr-Mining Equipment Colmar SAS and Liebherr-Werk Telfs GmbH are working together to commission LiReCon at Nueva Victoria. The close collaboration between the Liebherr companies will provide SQM with the factory support, technical expertise and specialist training needed to ensure seamless integration of the teleoperation system into site operations, according to the company.
Liebherr says it will ensure that the dozers and – once activated – the LiReCon teleoperation system support safe, efficient mining operations by providing ongoing service, training and technical support to SQM over the course of machines’ service life.
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