Eldorado Gold Corporation (NYSE:EGO) Q3 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

Kerry Smith: And just on Kisladag, maybe Simon can answer. Are the recoveries through the agglomerated material kind of tracking with what you expected or better or how are they tracking?

Simon Hille: So far, we’re still pretty comfortable with the recoveries tracking as planned, when we initiated the HPGR investment. And really, the agglomeration drum is a supplement to that to help us improve our materials handling and permeability on the pads and so far.

Kerry Smith: And then just one last question, if I could. How are the two electric trucks operating at Lamaque? I know you brought those two pieces of kit in. And what has the experience been?

Simon Hille: So we purchased two. That’s correct. We only have received one so far. And right now that one has been used pretty extensively to train and test the workforce while we’re preparing for implementation in the underground activities. So, we expect to see the second EV in the first quarter of 2024. So that’s the sort of plan right now. And so we’ll be rolling the first one into the service through this quarter, and then the second one as it comes onto site in Q1 of 2024.

George Burns: Kerry, one of the things that I heard last week that was pretty cool, because I haven’t been there to see the truck that just arrived yet. But it’s about two minutes to change the battery, which is, to me, pretty amazing. One of the big issues for us is you got to have an efficient truck where you’re not stopped charging, and so we’ve got spare batteries, but it takes two minutes basically to take a battery off and then get the other battery on to keep the truck moving. So, they’ve come a long ways with making these electric trucks efficient. We can’t wait to get the thing underground and see what it can do for us on productivity. They’re faster. That’s obviously a big win, and the ventilation impacts are pretty enormous for us. We don’t need air to deal with diesel emissions with these trucks. So, it’s going to be awesome, I think.

Kerry Smith: And I guess, the battery packs have to be changed with equipment, or can it be changed by a mechanic or an electrician? Like, are they heavy?

Simon Hille: So there’s an in built battery changing unit, so essentially, part of the design of the truck is to actually have a removal system installed on the truck, so it’s powered, to lift off and drop down and then pick up a secondary battery, all without the need of a third-party to put it together. So, the truck driver can do that without leaving the truck.

Operator: That is all the time we have for today. And this concludes the question-and-answer session and today’s conference call. You may disconnect your lines. Thank you for participating and have a pleasant day.