Contractor Snells Entreprenad AB recently entered into an agreement with Nordkust Maskin AB regarding the purchase of battery-powered wide body mining trucks. These trucks are set to become the first fully battery-powered trucks in a Swedish mine and will be used for material transport at LKAB’s Svappavaara iron ore mine.
This summer, Snells Entreprenad entered into a four-year agreement with LKAB for raw material transport, storage handling and machine services in Svappavaara, starting on January 1, 2025. The first mining trucks are expected to be delivered at the same time as the agreement comes into effect.
The agreement with Nordkust Maskin begins with a test period where the trucks’ performance will be evaluated under the specific conditions in Svappavaara. If the test proves successful, all truck transport at the operation will run on batteries from autumn 2025, which will make the solution unique in the Swedish mining industry.
“In the procurement, there is a requirement to be innovative in terms of solutions that reduce the business’ impact on the climate and environment. The fuel for the haulage is of course a big part of this. Battery technology cannot yet replace all types of transport in mining, but with the right conditions, haulage can be powered by batteries. Precisely for this assignment there are conditions where a large part of the loaded hauls will be downhill and then the trucks’ own charging can be used to a greater extent than if the loads are always transported uphill,” says Magnus Pekkari, CEO of Snells Entreprenad.
Nordkust Maskin, a dealer and service partner for China’s SANY, is working closely with Snells to ensure efficient operation and planning of the haulage fleet. “We are proud to offer SANY’s products, which take advantage of China’s leading position in battery technology and the competitive advantages it brings. Although their solutions are proven globally, the battery-powered trucks have not yet been used in a Swedish mine, and there is no corresponding solution in the Swedish mining industry, despite the great need for electrification to achieve fossil-free mines,” says Johan Gustafsson, CEO of Nordkust Machine.
“For several years, we have worked to find solutions that reduce our dependence on fossil fuels in various ways. All our crushers can be powered by electricity, but it has been more difficult to find electricity or battery solutions for the large machines we use in mines. We have excavators that in full production can consume up to 140 litres of diesel per hour. So it is clear that the need to produce an alternative is great,” says Pekkari.
He adds: “The industry has traditionally not chosen battery operation for heavy vehicles in the first place. But battery technology’s rapid development and capacity improvements open up new possibilities for the future. We are small players, but if we don’t start somewhere, nothing will happen. We really hope that the collaboration with Nordkust and the use of the battery-powered trucks will be successful. It will mean a lot, both for us and the entire mining industry if we succeed.”