Liebherr has delivered two PR 776 G8 crawler dozers and two L 586 XPower wheel loaders to SQM’s Nueva Victoria iodine mine in the Tarapacá region of northern Chile, marking the first deployment of the 70-tonne PR 776 dozer equipped with the LiReCon teleoperation system.
Since their delivery in December 2025, the machines have already demonstrated strong performance at the site, which is operated by the world’s largest iodine producer. The PR 776 G8, the largest hydrostatic dozer on the market, has been praised for its pushing power, stability and fuel efficiency.
“During its first months of operation, we witnessed the PR 776 G8’s strong pushing power, smooth operation, good stability and low diesel consumption,” says Nelson Torres, operations vice president at SQM.
Initially, the dozers are being operated from the cab while operators familiarise themselves with the machines. In the coming months, they will transition to Liebherr’s LiReCon remote control system, allowing operators to manage the machines from a teleoperation station located outside the mine.
LiReCon, short for Liebherr Remote Control, includes a control stand and machine-side equipment such as cameras, microphones and sensors, providing operators with multi-angle visual coverage and real-time audio feedback. The system is designed to improve safety and comfort while maintaining precise machine control in challenging environments.
The teleoperation system will enable the dozers to work safely in areas with geotechnical instability, near highwalls or dumps, and in locations with high levels of dust or heat. It will also allow faster operator shift changes, improving machine utilisation.
The delivery continues a growing partnership between Liebherr and SQM. Liebherr Chile previously supplied two R 9200 excavators to the mine in 2019, followed by the first R 9300 excavator in South America in 2024 and a second unit in 2025. With the new machines, SQM’s Liebherr fleet now totals eight units.
