Engine Collab Helps Reduce Emissions for Underground Mining Applications
BY Volvo Penta
Engine collaboration helps reduce emissions for underground mining applications
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Volvo Penta and Wajax Corporation, Toronto, Canada, started their own distribution partnership in 1988 and have since worked closely together on a mission to deliver Volvo Penta’s industrial power solutions, along with aftermarket service and integration expertise from Wajax, to a growing range of heavy-duty industrial equipment and commercial marine vessels. Then Wajax introduced Volvo Penta’s off-road eingines to MacLean Engineering, a designer and manufacturer of underground mining equipment.
Volvo Penta’s mining engines complement MacLean’s focus on building highly customized, purpose-built underground mining equipment with lower emissions that could decrease ventilation needs for operators.
Now, MacLean is integrating Volvo Penta’s mining engines into their full equipment line-up, with the first Volvo Penta-powered machine arriving at a customer site in Quebec earlier in 2026.
Wajax was founded in 1858 and has expanded to more than 100 branches across Canada, serving diverse sectors with integrated sales, parts and service solutions. The partnership reflects the strength of Volvo Penta’s closely-knit distributor network.
“Volvo Penta and Wajax have enjoyed a partnership that spans decades,” said Joel Contreras, regional sales manager, Volvo Penta. “They are very experienced with our product. Distributors like Wajax are vital to Volvo Penta because they apply local expertise and talent, while we bring global knowledge and resources to support that.”
Innovation for mining engines
The synergy between Volvo Penta and Wajax has been key in helping customers like MacLean embrace new off-road engine technologies, such as Volvo Penta’s D5 Tier 3 and Stage V mining engines, with confidence.
“Mining equipment demands a certain level of safety, productivity and emissions performance, and we find that Volvo Penta and Wajax bring that with their product,” said John Botelho, product manager, MacLean Engineering. “They’ve proven to be strong technical partners. Their product fits well, and we’ve had great success with it.”
Volvo Penta’s mining engines complement MacLean’s focus on building highly customized, purpose-built underground mining equipment with lower emissions that could decrease ventilation needs for operators.
“We’re able to provide a solution that MacLean trusts will work, and that’s achieved through close engineering collaboration between Wajax and Volvo Penta,” said Duncan Finlayson, technical sales representative, Wajax. “Working with MacLean, we can ensure that what we’re proposing as a propulsion solution is going to fit for their end user.”
As industries like mining continue to evolve, the Volvo Penta–Wajax partnership is helping customers stay ahead of the curve with solutions that prioritize performance, efficiency and dedicated support with a personal touch.
“Having a strong partner relationship between Volvo Penta and Wajax is important because it’s a global network that supplies products across many markets,” said Finlayson. “It makes the end user more confident in ordering machines with Volvo Penta power.”