Russia’s East Mining Company (EMCO), written in Russian Vostochnaya Mining Company (VGK) and Belarus-based global mining haul truck OEM are collaborating on testing of a trolley assist DC electric drive 220 t dump truck based on the 75306 series. The development of a BELAZ diesel-electric drive trolley assist dump truck has been carried out since 2019 aimed at increasing mining customer preference to reduce dependence on diesel, lower GHG emissions plus of course the cost savings in using electricity versus diesel as well as the increased productivity of machines though higher operating speeds on the trolley line ramp. Despite this project involving a thermal coal mine, it would still substantially reduce diesel usage versus a mining fleet without trolley. The project would see the first trolley assist line in Russian mining.

Oleg Misevra, Chairman of the Board of Directors of East Mining Company, noted: “With the growth of the company’s volumes, the issue of production efficiency and environmental responsibility arose. The development of an electric dump truck is part of the Green Coal Cluster on Sakhalin. The joint project with BELAZ provides an opportunity to develop a new direction for both our mining fleet and those of all mining companies in the region that will be able to use alternative power sources in the extraction of minerals, which in turn will ‘green’ the production and minimise the carbon footprint.”

Within the framework of the project, BELAZ has manufactured a prototype of a trolley 75306 mining dump truck equipped with trolley pantographs and onboard conversion technology. The development took into account the need to modernise via retrofit the current truck fleet that is operated at the Solntsevsky open pit on Sakhalin. For testing a diesel-trolley dump truck, for the first time at the testing ground of the BELAZ factory in Zhodino, Belarus, the necessary infrastructure was designed and manufactured, including a traction substation to ensure the supply of the required voltage to the supporting current-carrying network.

At the beginning of April 2021, an experimental prototype of a dump truck was tested for the first time without load and drove under electric traction powered by a 0.6 kW overhead catenary system, overcoming a 10% gradient. In June 2021, the trolley line will begin testing of the mining truck with a rated load of 220 t and a 2 kW mains supply.

“The issue of reducing the carbon load is becoming increasingly important for mining companies today. It is noteworthy that it is the East Mining Company, which is widely known even outside of Sakhalin for its advanced projects in this area, today is a partner and a promising customer of this project of an electric trolley dump truck. Now we are conducting tests at the BELAZ test site, and in the first quarter of 2022 we plan to start test work at the Solntsevsky coal mine. For this, we will provide for the construction of trolley infrastructure at the coal deposit and supply equipment for retrofitting the existing trucks in the fleet to trolley version. The pilot project will involve from 10 to 15 mining dump trucks,” commented Sergei Lesin, Deputy General Director for Quality Management at OJSC BELAZ.

East Mining Company (VGK) is the largest coal mining enterprise in the Sakhalin Region with a full cycle for the extraction and shipment of solid fuel. It accounts for about 80% of the total brown coal production in Sakhalin. The main consumers of the mined coal are the Asia-Pacific countries. In 2020, it produced 11 Mt of coal, exceeding the previous year’s figure by 21%. In 2021, the expected volume will be 12 Mt. The structure of the VGK includes LLC Solntsevsky coal mine and LLC Coal seaport Shakhtersk (Uglegorsk region).