CAT Caterpillar Inc

By Robb M. Stewart

Caterpillar Inc. said it struck a deal to supply a Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. mine in Canada with heavy mining equipment to transition it to a zero-exhaust emission fleet while securing from the mine a potential source of battery materials for electric vehicles.

The companies on Thursday said they signed definitive agreements to supply Nouveau Monde's Matawinie mine in the Saint-Michel-des-Saints region of Quebec with mining equipment and to support a progressive transition from traditional models to Cat zero-exhaust emission machines as they become available.

The companies also agreed to advance commercial discussions targeting Nouveau Monde's active anode material and getting the mining company to supply carbon-neutral graphite materials to Caterpillar. The materials would help Caterpillar develop its battery supply chain and electrify its heavy vehicles, including Nouveau Monde's Matawinie fleet.

The companies said equipment and infrastructure for commercial production at the Matawinie mine would first support operations during the pre-production phase and early production years and be progressively replaced with zero-exhaust emission machines as they become available. The companies are targeting a complete all-electric transition by the fifth year of Matawinie's commercial operations.

The companies would work in close collaboration to test Caterpillar's early-learner models and pilot units, and Nouveau Monde would use the machines and gather data in mining operations, the companies said.

The machines cover hydraulic excavators, mining trucks, wheel loaders, dozers and motor graders, charging and energy storage infrastructure, and equipment maintenance services.

Write to Robb M. Stewart at robb.stewart@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 20, 2023 08:15 ET (12:15 GMT)

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