Copper Mountain Mining Corporation has successfully commissioned its trolley assist project, which consists of an approximately one kilometre trolley-assist haul ramp and seven pantograph-equipped Komatsu 830E-5 electric haul trucks. This project is in partnership with SMS Equipment, Komatsu, ABB, Clean BC, and BC Hydro, and is aimed at cutting carbon emissions at the Copper Mountain Mine by at least 30%, paving a solid foundation to achieve the company’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2035.
“We are proud to be the first open pit mine to commission electric trolley assist haulage in North America,” stated Gil Clausen, Copper Mountain’s President and CEO. “We have been assessing numerous innovative technologies that will reduce our carbon load. Through electrification and capacity increases, we are targeting to reduce our carbon intensity by 50 to 70% in the next five to seven years. We are also actively testing and researching renewable diesel, hydrogen, battery, and fuel-cell technology to power our haulage units to achieve our goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2035.”
“This project stemmed from our goal to reduce our carbon emissions and make a meaningful change, while improving our costs and productivity,” said Don Strickland, EVP – Sustainability for Copper Mountain Mining Corporation. “Diesel fuel for our 240t haul trucks is the largest source of GHG emissions at the mine and diesel cost is between our second and third largest cost item for the site. With clean hydro-electricity available in BC, the best way to achieve both the GHG and cost reduction objectives was to consider trolley assist technology when acquiring new trucks. Electric powered haul trucks will now travel up our haulage ramps at twice the speed, one tenth of the energy cost, and near zero GHG emissions.”
