Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) (HCME) has delivered its EX2600-7E ultra-large electric excavator to mining operator Rudnik uglja Pljevlja in northern Montenegro.
West Balkans Machinery (WBM), the authorised Hitachi dealer, supplied the 250t machine, marking the first delivery of the electric model in Europe.
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The excavator will be used for coal extraction at the Pljevlja coal mine.
The mine previously operated using diesel-powered hydraulic excavators and dragline equipment but recently shifted towards electric models as part of a programme to modernise and improve operational efficiency.
Its fleet includes three other Hitachi EX machines: an EX2600-6 delivered in 2019, and the EX1200-6 and EX1200-7 models that arrived in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
The company decided to invest in the electric-drive excavator to reduce long-term operating costs, benefit from less complex maintenance and ensure constant torque thanks to its 860kW electric motor.
The availability of locally generated electricity from the adjacent Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant shaped the decision, enabling the mine to decrease its use of imported diesel fuel.
Hitachi technicians from Japan and WBM representatives assembled the unit at the mine site.
WBM will provide ongoing parts and maintenance support throughout the two-year (or 8,000 operating-hour) warranty period.
Operational agreements at the Pljevlja mine set a minimum production level of 1.65 million tonnes (mt) of dark lignite each year, although actual output typically varies between 1.5mt and 2.2mt.
Around 85–95% of coal output is supplied to the adjacent power plant, which produces more than 40% of Montenegro’s electricity.
The mine also distributes coal to local households, businesses, and increasingly for export, including contracts with Serbia’s state-owned utility, Elektroprivreda Srbije.
HCME sales VP Hubertus Muenster said: “We are proud to supply our reliable orange ultra-large excavators, including the country’s first EX-7 electric machine, to play an important part in Montenegro’s energy sector.
“We appreciate the trust that Rudnik uglja Pljevlja has placed in our electric products and the excellent support of our local dealer.”
In October 2025, Hitachi Construction Machinery signed a charter agreement with Rio Tinto subsidiary Technological Resources to develop remote operation technologies for ultra-large hydraulic excavators.
