LKAB’s board has decided to invest in four new dual-IORE locomotives from Bombardier. The order is an important part of a large investment in LKAB’s logistics of SEK1 billion. “The investment is strategic to LKAB’s development plan and increases train capacity for ore transports to 40 Mt/y. Increased capacity on the Malmbanan line is essential to implement the plan for three new mines and an increase in delivery capacity of 35 % by 2015” says LKAB’s CEO Lars-Eric Aaro.
LKAB currently has 13 IORE-locomotives and is now increasing that number to 17 (Im, September 2010, pp36-40). They are designed for extremely heavy rail transport. LKAB’s ore trains consist of 68 ore cars with a carrying capacity of 100 t each. Each train carries 6,800 t of iron ore and is 750 m long. Ore shipments are transported from LKAB’s mine sites in Malmberget, Svappavaara and Kiruna to LKAB’s ore ports in Narvik and Luleå and to the SSAB site in Luleå.
The requirements for the locomotives are very high. “The ore transports run around the clock in an extreme Arctic climate with large temperature fluctuations and weather variations. The Bombardier locomotives have proven to be reliable in this harsh climate. When the trains in southern Sweden stood still, our ore trains were always on schedule,” said Jan Olovsson, Project Manager.
The four IORE locomotives will be delivered during the period May 2013 to March 2014. The contract also includes spare parts.
“This investment provides us with a transport capacity of 20 daily trains instead of the current 15 trains on Malmbanan” says Göran Heikkilä, Director of MTAB, Malmtrafik in Kiruna AB, which handles the rail traffic.
Klas Wåhlberg, President of Bombardier Transportation Sweden AB, comments: “Our new order from LKAB is a great success. Our customer appreciates the IORE-locomotives’ high performance and reliability. It is also proof of our well-established co-operation.”
The IORE-locomotives have a high tractive effort of 1,200 kN, the world’s most powerful locomotives. The power at the wheels is 10 800 kW and the axle load is 30 t on each of the 12 driving axles. They are very energy efficient and have a built-in energy regeneration. Using so-called asynchronous motors, kinetic energy is converted to electric power when the locomotive brakes. The Bombardier IORE locomotives regenerate on average 25% of the energy consumed during transportation. This benefits the environment and LKAB’s investment in Green Pellets, the world’s smartest iron ore product.
“We are very proud to be part of LKAB’s ongoing success,” stated Åke Wennberg, President of Bombardier Transportation’s Locomotives & Equipment Division. “The power and performance of these Bombardier locomotives are unequaled and will further strengthen LKAB in their strategic business development.”
Final assembly of the new locomotives will take place in Kassel, Germany. The carbodies, bogies and propulsion will be produced at Bombardier’s sites in Wroclaw, Poland, and Siegen and Mannheim, Germany, respectively.
