Railveyor Technologies Global Inc. has been selected as the preferred haulage solution provider for Ivanhoe Electric’s Santa Cruz Copper Project in Arizona, USA.
Ivanhoe released its prefeasibility study for Santa Cruz earlier this week, outlining a 20,000 t/d mining operation utilising modern mining technology (Railveyor included). It is based on a conventional on/off heap leaching operation yielding copper recoveries of 92.2% over the life of mine and allowing spent ore to be used underground as paste backfill. The study outlined average annual production of 72,000 t of copper cathode during the first 15 years of mining.
Tas Mohamed, CEO of Railveyor, said: “We are honoured to be selected as the preferred haulage solution for Ivanhoe Electric’s flagship copper project. This collaboration highlights Railveyor’s growing role in shaping the future of mining. Our team looks forward to supporting Ivanhoe Electric in delivering a world-class, low-impact mining operation at Santa Cruz.”
Railveyor’s fully electric haulage technology offers a breakthrough in mine design flexibility, scalability and sustainable performance – critical factors for projects like Santa Cruz that are committed to low-carbon development strategies, it says.
Ivanhoe Electric has highlighted that the project’s base case utilises 70% renewable energy. This will result in low Scope 1 and 2 carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions of 0.49 t of CO2e per tonne of copper produced – compared with the industry average of 3.9 t.
Studies on Railveyor’s performance in active mining operations demonstrated that the system reduced mine-wide emissions by up to 39%, when compared with diesel trucks, the company says. Railveyor also delivers on low operational costs, reducing operating expenditure by as much as 75% compared with truck haulage. The value delivered by the Railveyor technology supports the cash costs and low emissions projections of the Santa Cruz operation.
Railveyor’s narrow gauge light rail system is propelled by low horsepower drive stations located along the haulage route. The company’s advanced software maximises efficiency, streamlines operations and ensures a safe and controlled environment with zero emissions, the company added.
“We are proud to support Ivanhoe Electric in making fully electric mining a reality,” Jerome Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Railveyor, said. “The Santa Cruz project is a bold step toward a cleaner copper future, with Railveyor providing the energy-efficient haulage needed to help achieve that goal.”