Scania Argentina inaugurated the expansion of its facility in Pocito with an investment of US$2.3 million, marking ten years of operations in San Juan. The local branch has grown from five to more than 40 employees and is planning further expansions.
Scania Argentina’s Commercial Director for Trucks, Mariano Estrada, highlighted mining as a strategic growth area and the partnership with Vicuña to provide support in the project’s operating area. He also emphasized the growing adoption of CNG as a transition fuel.
By Panorama Minero
Scania Argentina inaugurated the expansion of its facility in Pocito Department, San Juan Province, a milestone coinciding with the company’s first decade of operations in the province. The project required an investment of US$2.3 million, in line with the company’s policy of locating its facilities close to its customers’ operating sites. The growth of the San Juan branch has been significant, expanding from an initial team of five employees to more than 40 people currently working at the facility.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by senior company executives, including Managing Director Sebastián Figueroa, Regional Director Sandro Milazzotto, and Commercial Director for Trucks in Argentina Mariano Estrada. Provincial and local government officials were also present, including Pocito Mayor Fabián Aballay, Secretary of Economic Planning Alfredo Aciar, and Director of Foreign Trade Adrián Alonso.
During his remarks, Mariano Estrada emphasized that mining is emerging as one of Argentina’s most important strategic growth areas. Against this backdrop of expansion, the company is seeking to closely support local projects. Scania has established a partnership with the Vicuña project, setting up a service workshop directly in the operating area, where Scania trucks are already in use. This builds on the company’s previous experience providing services at mining operations such as Veladero.
The company expects its new San Juan facilities to be able to meet growing future demand, with the possibility of further expansions if required by increased activity. Estrada explained that the flexibility of the company’s modular system allows its vehicles to be adapted both to the demanding conditions of heavy-duty mining and to the growing oil and gas sector in key regions such as Vaca Muerta.
Beyond the mining sector, Estrada reviewed the evolution of the company, which now has 50 years of history in Argentina and operates a transmission components plant in Tucumán. He described how innovation and development have led to the introduction of latest-generation engines capable of achieving fuel savings of more than 10% compared with previous models.
Finally, Scania’s commercial strategy is firmly focused on the energy transition through the use of alternative fuels. In this regard, compressed natural gas (CNG) technology, introduced in Argentina in 2020, has reached nearly 1,000 units sold. Estrada emphasized that natural gas represents an ideal transition fuel for the local market given Argentina’s energy mix, while electric powertrains are expected to play a greater role at a later stage.
This sustainable alternative has also become more competitive with diesel following recent transportation regulations allowing an additional tonne per axle and greater overall vehicle length for gas-powered trucks.
Mariano Estrada, Commercial Director for Trucks at Scania.
