Global Business Reports Interviews Dawn Nigro, Epiroc Canada General Manager, on BEV Adoption & Plans for 2026

What were the key highlights from your first year leading Epiroc Canada?

I inherited a deeply experienced, highly skilled team. In Canada, Sudbury is our hub for digitalization, electrification, automation, and technical services. New machines entering Canada are commissioned in Sudbury before deployment to Canadian operations, so we continue to invest in resources there. Canada is also at the forefront of electrification for Epiroc globally, and our Canadian customers operate some of the largest BEV fleets. Sudbury also supports our global remanufacturing capabilities, and we recently completed a major rebuild of a large Pit Viper blast-hole drill, the first rebuild of its kind in Canada, which was delivered to an Ontario mine. In late 2025, we opened a new facility in Thunder Bay, Ontario, including a rock drill repair shop, office space and warehouse. Northwestern Ontario is a growing mining region, and we expect it to become more important over time, including as development advances in the Ring of Fire, so expanding our footprint there is a strategic move.

How is Epiroc adapting to deeper, larger, and more complex mining operations?

Our core technology trends are digitalization, electrification and automation, all of which are central to deep mining. We are integrating these technologies into both equipment and solutions to enable safety and productivity at depth. In deep mines, situational awareness and digital tools become essential. We offer systems that track equipment and materials underground, and operator tools such as a tablet-based onboard solution that provides digital mine maps and positioning to improve cycle times and enhance safety. We also deploy collision-avoidance systems to improve the safety of personnel and vehicles in confined deep-mine environments. Electrification directly reduces ventilation demand; for example, a deep Ontario mine at about 1,900 m used a full BEV fleet, reducing ventilation requirements by about 40%.

What are the biggest barriers to BEV adoption in Ontario?

The biggest barrier is managing the transition across the whole operation, including leadership, operators, and maintenance teams. People need training and operational understanding of BEV differences, safety implications, and support requirements. Infrastructure is also a challenge, particularly the need for charging or battery-swapping systems, and mines need to plan for those systems differently from fuel-based fleets.

Are mining companies shifting their thinking from CapEx to total cost of ownership for BEV and automated fleets?

We present solutions through total cost of ownership over time, because that is where productivity and efficiency gains are realized. The total cost of ownership for batteries will continue to improve, and early purchase motivations related to sustainability and safety are now paired with a stronger focus on productivity, which is necessary for wider adoption. This same total cost framing applies to automation and digital solutions, where long-term operational gains matter more than initial cost comparisons.

How does Epiroc approach sustainability and circularity in Canada?

We support the recycling of drill consumables and work on carbide recycling. Electrification supports sustainability by reducing emissions, and circularity also connects to battery supply chains as materials are recovered and re-enter value streams.

How do you ensure mines and operators are trained to use new technologies safely and effectively?

Training is built into our customer supply agreements and is treated as essential for safety and productivity. We rigorously train our own teams and mine-site personnel during the implementation of new equipment and technologies. We use simulators as part of training delivery, including at the automation lab in Sudbury. The goal is to reduce risk during adoption, improve competence quickly, and ensure technologies deliver real performance safely.

What are Epiroc Canada’s priorities for 2026 and beyond?

Epiroc will continue building on our three core trends in technology: automation, digitalization, and electrification. In automation, the focus is on scale and mixed fleet capability, supported by wireless communication and control systems. In digitalization, we are advancing situational awareness and fleet management so mines have real-time knowledge and can optimize decisions across operations, including using data to better understand ore bodies and rock conditions. In electrification, we will continue accelerating the transition through diesel-to-battery conversion kits, charging infrastructure, and power network solutions. Across all of this, safety remains the primary driver, because automation and digital tools reduce exposure by moving operators away from higher-risk environments and supporting safer mining while also improving productivity.