In a November 2020 Investor Presentation, Copper Mountain (75% Copper Mountain Mining Corporation/25% Mitsubishi Materials Corporation MMC), the operator of the Copper Mountain pit near the town of Princeton in British Columbia, says it is committed to achieving the Mining Association of Canada’s (MAC) Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) standard. Part of this will see it focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and included in this it is planning a trolley assist trial where mining trucks are modified with a pantograph to run under trolley lines to significantly reduce diesel consumption, normally on long, steep uphills. It also means increased speed under trolley so increased productivity with lower fuel costs.
The presentation said that the mine will reduce carbon intensity by >50% in 5-7 years through electrification and capacity increase with a final target of zero by 2035. The trolley trial could lead to full trolley introduction in three phases in conjunction with other actions such as switching to all electric shovels and drills. The company is partnering with Komatsu, its dealer SMS, electrification technology giant ABB, hydropower group BC Hydro and the BC government to advance this trial. The first phase would help reduce its tCO2e/t CuEq from the current 2.99 to 2.10, the second phase to 1.55 and the third to zero.
In a letter dated September 17, 2020, the British Columbia provincial government’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy says it is contributing C$2 million towards the installation of the electric trolley system for mine-haul trucks at Copper Mountain through the CleanBC Industry Fund. “The partnership will support upgrades to four of the company’s trucks to be compatible with an overhead trolley system that is planned to be installed on a new laneway on a steep section of the mine-haul road. This is expected to reduce local air pollutants and 55,000 t of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) – roughly equal to taking 20,000 cars off the roads for a year.” The modified trucks will initially include four existing 221 t 830E models at the mine. IM understands that these are relatively new 830E-5s that were shipped in 2019.
“Our government is working with businesses to create new opportunities through CleanBC to reduce emissions and build on our global reputation as a place for clean investment,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. “Through the CleanBC Industry Fund, we’re investing in innovative projects that will support good jobs and a cleaner, better future for people in communities across BC.”
The Copper Mountain pilot project will help prove the effectiveness of the trolley technology in British Columbia for wider application. It will replace diesel used by the haul trucks to transport mine material to a surface processing facility with clean electricity. This will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Our company is committed to low-carbon mining,” said Gil Clausen, President and CEO of Copper Mountain Mining Corporation. “We are pleased to be in partnership with the provincial government and CleanBC to produce high-quality minerals, while minimising our impact on the environment. With the success of this trolley project, we plan on incorporating an electric trolley system into Copper Mountain’s life of mine plan, which we see reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% to 50%. By working together, we’re investing in a cleaner future that will see significant global opportunities for companies like ours that find innovative ways to lower our carbon footprint.”