Following successful trials of Epiroc’s 14 t class ST14 Battery in 2022/2023 at the Diablo Regimiento mining sector of Codelco’s El Teniente mine (the ST14 Battery is today automation-ready and is now referred to as the ST14 SG), Chile’s state-owned copper mining giant has now turned its attention to trialling Sandvik’s 18 t Toro™ LH518iB loader, also automation-ready. The loader delivers 540 kW of electric drivetrain power for improved acceleration, fast ramp speeds and efficient bucket filling with 6,000 Nm total torque output.
Codelco says the loader is now enroute by sea having been manufactured at Sandvik’s factory in Turku, Finland and is set to join the existing autonomous mining fleet at El Teniente, which mainly includes LH514 loaders and Toro™ TH663i trucks – in all, Codelco has over 40 Sandvik autonomous loaders and trucks running at the mining complex with a focus on new sectors like Andes Norte and Recursos Norte. Many of these are now using the the AutoMine® Fleet system − which is capable of being scaled to support large numbers of machines.
The AutoMine® Fleet system is a highly advanced automation system for a fleet of underground loaders and trucks sharing the same automated production area. It provides advanced traffic control capabilities, as well as a wide range of interfaces for infrastructure integration to allow for complex automation applications in challenging environments.
One major difference between the Epiroc LHD and the Sandvik LHD is the battery change out system. Epiroc’s ST14 Battery or ST14 SG is capable of both on and off-board charging, but primarily uses battery swapping via an approved lifting device and overhead crane, supervised by the operator. Sandvik’s LH518iB also uses battery swapping but via the patented semi-autonomous AutoSwap and AutoConnect systems which allow the operator to stay in the cabin during the swapping process, which takes less than five minutes.
Codelco says the LH518iB trial period is scheduled for the first half of 2025 and that it will play a key role in its goal of being carbon neutral by 2050. It describes the LHD as 100% electric and semi-autonomous with zero direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and having a tractive force 80% higher than the equivalent diesel version. It adds: “We continue to encourage collaboration in the industry to develop cleaner and more efficient technologies.”
The trial will be a major topic of discussion during The Electric Mine 2025 conference coming up on May 13-15 at Centro Parque in Santiago, where Sandvik is a Platinum Sponsor and Epiroc a Gold Sponsor – see www.theelectricmine.com