Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions introduced Lithium Iron-Phosphate (LFP) technology for its battery-electric underground drills last week at MINExpo 2024. The OEM states that LFP batteries combine significantly improved Sandvik drill performance with mining’s most stable battery chemistry, adding: “LFP batteries are robust and purpose-built for harsh mining environments while retaining the same level of safety as Sandvik’s existing battery technology.”  

“Sandvik has been the leader in battery-electric underground drilling since launching the industry’s first BEV – Sandvik DD422iE – in 2016,” said Marko Roivas, Product Line Manager, Underground Drilling at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions. “Now, we are introducing a significant development in underground drilling technology with this new LFP battery.”

During field testing at Agnico Eagle’s Kittilä mine in northern Finland, operators were able to tram 50% further and achieve 20 percent more speed in uphill tramming. The two onboard battery packs offered 36% more usable energy than the existing battery technology, and charging time was reduced by 55% during the testing period. 

“We saw remarkable improvements in performance during field testing, including significant increases in battery tramming distance and speed, which has been one of the biggest hurdles to implementing BEVs in operations with long declines,” Roivas said. “LFP batteries are known for their high safety margins, tolerance for thermal runaway, longevity, durability and abundant availability of cell metals. LFP batteries also do not require pre-heating prior to use.”

When paired with Sandvik underground drills, miners will continue to enjoy the established benefits of battery-electric drilling, including zero-emission operations, Sandvik’s Charging While Drilling technology, off-grid drilling and bolting and reduced heat and noise generation. 

In addition to the health and environmental benefits of battery-electric drilling, miners can also reduce operational costs by using their existing ventilation and electrical infrastructure. 

LFP battery technology will be available first on Sandvik DD422iE development drills, with testing underway for Sandvik DL422iE production drills and Sandvik DS412iE bolters. Sandvik expects to offer LFP batteries as standard from 2025.  

Sandvik will also introduce LFP battery retrofit kits for Sandvik BEV underground drill customers operating equipment with the current Sodium Nickel (SoNick) batteries.