Purpose. Study on energy consumption of mechatronic systems of mining excavators during the full production cycle, development of energy efficiency criterium for the production cycle of mining excavators, which ensures an increase in the technical and economic indicators of the operation of powerful mining equipment. Methodology. Mathematical modeling of electro-mechanical system of “front shovel” excavator, determination indicators of the production cycle, development of the criterion of energy efficiency of the mining excavator’s operating cycle taking into account the theory of technical systems efficiency. Findings. A mathematical model of a complete electro-mechanical system of an excavator with “generator-engine” electric drive has been developed, which includes a model of the mechanical part of the excavator. The closed-loop bucket positioning system makes it possible to implement various movement trajectories during the operating cycle. Numerical characteristics of energy consumption and duration for various movement trajectories of the working bodies of the excavator are obtained. A new criterion of energy efficiency of mechatronic systems of mining excavators is proposed. Originality. For the first time, a mathematical model has been proposed of an integral electro-mechanical system of an excavator according to the “front shovel” scheme, which includes models of electric drives of all mechanisms and a synchronous drive motor, as well as a model of the mechanical part of the excavator; this makes it possible to increase the accuracy of determining the excavator’s energy consumption and the operating cycle time. A criterion of energy efficiency is proposed, which takes into account the amount of resource costs, the overall result and the duration of the excavator’s operating cycle. Practical value. A mathematical model of the electromechanical system of an excavator with an electric drive according to the “generator-motor” system has been developed, which, taking into account the solution of the direct and inverse problems of the kinematics of the mechanical system of the excavator, makes it possible to compare parameters of various trajectories of movement of the excavator. The implementation of a closed system for positioning the excavator bucket in three-dimensional space was proposed, which creates conditions for increasing the level of automation of mining excavators. A criterion of the energy efficiency of the excavator’s technological cycle is proposed, which takes into account resource costs and the technological cycle duration.