Key Highlights

•  The order comprises 14 Toro LH621i loaders, 10 Toro TH663i haul trucks and one Sandvik DD422i development jumbo, booked by Sandvik in the third quarter of 2026.

•  Deliveries are expected to start in June 2027, with commissioning to follow as units arrive through early 2028.

•  The announcement did not say which mines will receive the machines or link the order to specific production targets.

Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) has selected Swedish equipment maker Sandvik to Supply 25 underground Mining units for its Western Australian operations.

The order comprises 14 Toro LH621i loaders, 10 Toro TH663i haul trucks and one Sandvik DD422i development jumbo, a drilling rig used to advance underground tunnels. Sandvik booked the order in the third quarter of 2026.

Delivery timing and operation

Deliveries are scheduled to start in June 2027 and run into early 2028. The equipment will be operated and maintained by Northern Star Mining Services (NSMS), the company's wholly owned in-house mining services division. Sandvik's local teams will support delivery, commissioning and lifecycle management of the fleet.

The announcement did not specify which Northern Star mines will receive the machines. The company's production centres include Kalgoorlie and Yandal in Western Australia, as well as Pogo in Alaska. The order value was not disclosed.

Why an in-house fleet matters

Many Australian underground mines are run by contract miners, who supply their own equipment and crews. Northern Star's use of its own mining services division means it owns and operates fleets directly at some sites. Buying equipment in bulk can support that model by standardising machines, which may simplify maintenance, Training and parts supply.

The DD422i jumbo is used for development, the process of driving tunnels to access new ore. Including a development rig in the order suggests the fleet is intended for both accessing and producing ore, although the split between those tasks was not described. The loaders and trucks handle the movement of broken ore and waste from underground workings to the surface or to crushing points.

Sandvik's Craig Johnston, vice president of sales for Australia and New Zealand, said keeping underground production moving "depends on both equipment performance and the support behind it".

Sandvik also said the Toro TH663i trucks and LH621i loaders offer advanced connectivity, real-time analytics and automation readiness, along with easier maintenance. The supplier claims the machines enable high payloads, lower operating cost per tonne and safer sites. These are manufacturer claims, and the actual performance will depend on how the fleet is deployed.

Context for Northern Star

Northern Star is one of Australia's major gold producers. The company's first-quarter gold sales Revenue rose 7.2% but missed analyst estimates.

Large equipment orders can indicate how a producer is planning its underground mining capacity for the coming years. The timing of deliveries, from mid-2027, suggests the machines are intended to support operations over the medium term. However, the announcement did not link the order to specific production targets, mine expansions or replacement of older equipment, so its precise purpose cannot be confirmed from the available information.

Limitations

The information comes primarily from the supplier's side rather than a Northern Star announcement, and key details such as cost, site allocation and whether the units replace or add to the existing fleet were not provided. Northern Star had not, in the material reviewed here, publicly commented on the Sandvik order itself. Capital spending of this type is typically part of a miner's broader budget, and further detail on how it fits within sustaining or growth capital may appear in Northern Star's own reporting.

Next steps

Sandvik and NSMS are expected to prepare for deliveries starting in June 2027, with commissioning to follow as units arrive through early 2028. Further detail on where the fleet will be deployed may emerge in Northern Star's future operational updates.

The order adds to a series of operational updates from the gold producer in recent weeks, as it continues to manage operations in Western Australia and Alaska.