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Liebherr advances Zero Emission Program with help of ABB, ENGIE

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Liebherr, on the back of an increased industry focus on GHG emissions reduction, has announced at MINExpo 2021 that it is accelerating the implementation of its existing low carbon solutions and triggered future projects to offer completely fossil fuel free mining equipment options.

While much of this development will occur in house, the company has confirmed it is partnering with ABB on trolley assist infrastructure and ENGIE on integrating different renewable energy solutions into loading, hauling and dozing processes.

Liebherr Mining’s strategy to reduce GHG emissions will mainly focus on the operational phase of its machinery, as studies showed that more than 90% of GHG emissions over the complete lifecycle of the equipment occurred during this phase.

Liebherr Mining’s Zero Emission Program, which was established to develop these future solutions, is well aligned with the values of the Liebherr Group as an independent and responsible, family-owned company, it says.

The Liebherr Group has existing in-house core competencies, across all 13 product segments, in electrification, batteries, internal combustion engines, injection systems and alternative renewable fuels. Building from this experience, the Zero Emission Program has clear targets and a roadmap to achieve low carbon solutions for the full range of off-highway trucks and excavators in 2022, and fossil fuel free solutions for the majority of applications by 2030.

The Zero Emission Program strives to deliver long-term sustainable products and services, providing different options centred on environmental sustainability, safety, cost, flexibility and maintainability. Modularisation, along with an energy-type agnostic approach to drivetrains, are key elements in Liebherr Mining’s strategy, easing the transition for customers with the possibility to retrofit modules.

2022 target: Liebherr’s low carbon emission technology

Liebherr Mining has developed and offered electrification solutions for many years and is now about to finalise all initiatives to achieve its first 2022 target to offer low carbon emission solutions for its complete digging and hauling range.

The technologies, including the haul truck Trolley Assist System and electric excavator range, are consistently achieving proven results in the field to lower carbon emissions, according to the company. The newly introduced in-built Liebherr Power Efficiency control system has also shown excellent results since field operation began in 2019, the company says.

Trolley Assist System for Liebherr haul trucks

With the T 264 trolley components production-ready in 2022, all Liebherr trucks will be available with Trolley Assist System, providing a low emission solution for customers.

The Liebherr Trolley Assist System is, the company says, an effective first step on the road to zero emission mine sites of the future. Using an overhead pantograph or trolley bars to connect the electric-drive system to the electrical network, the Trolley Assist System offers increased truck fleet productivity, or reduction in fleet size, while maintaining yearly production when compared with standard trucks. A significant reduction of diesel fuel consumption is also made possible with the Trolley Assist System along with a reduction of the truck fleet CO2 emissions. However, this of course depends on the percentage of renewable energy content in the grid supplied power.

Oliver Weiss, Executive Vice President R&D, Engineering and Manufacturing, Liebherr-Mining Equipment SAS, outlined some of the company’s trolley assist operations at MINExpo 2021 today

Liebherr delivers proven field experience with 39 T 284 units fitted with the Trolley Assist System currently in operation on two different sites, with more to be commissioned in 2022. Liebherr is also the first company to run a 100 t truck under trolley, with a fleet of T 236 trucks running on a 5 km trolley line in Austria at the Erzberg mine – the longest trolley line in the world, according to Liebherr.

‘The largest range of electric excavators’

The Liebherr Group has over 30 years of experience in electric driven machines for earthmoving, material handling and mining applications. Today, Liebherr Mining says it is the OEM offering the largest range of electric driven excavators on the market. Ranging from 130 t to 800 t, the R 9150, R 9200, R 9250, R 9350, R 9400, and R 9800 are all available as electric drive versions. The electric drive R 9600 will soon be available.

Liebherr electric excavators are existing and already proven solutions helping customers to build future sustainable mine sites, it says. Focusing on reliability, maintainability and maximum safety, Liebherr’s engineering teams strive for solutions requiring minimum change to existing energy infrastructure and operational behaviour on customer sites. Thanks to 70% of parts commonality with diesel versions, Liebherr also offers complete retrofit options for existing machines.

To offer better machine mobility and safety for the workforce on site, Liebherr has developed a cable reel option for all electric drive excavators either in backhoe or face shovel. The cable reel is completely autonomous and has a capacity of up to 300 m depending on the excavator type. Furthermore, Liebherr proposes an operational concept for excavators with cable reel in backhoe application, particularly in double benching operations.

Liebherr Power Efficiency

Liebherr says it is continuously improving and upgrading its standard machines to enable the transition to emission reductions. Liebherr Power Efficiency (LPE) is the most recent built-in technology upgrade making this productivity and sustainability contribution.

Starting with Generation 7, all Liebherr mining excavators will be equipped with LPE as standard. This specific engine and hydraulic management system drastically reduces fuel consumption by up to 20%.

The system:

  • Adapts piloting processes according to operator requirements;
  • Electronically controls pressure and oil flow;
  • Has increased efficiency of the control valves and the new Liebherr pumps;
  • Has a fully integrated engine control system;
  • Reduces hydraulic losses and load profile of the engine for increased component lifetime; and
  • Reduces energy consumption without impact on the machine performance.

Based on research and development, Liebherr is able to provide size-equivalent machinery with higher production rates and less fuel consumption.

“In fact, the combination of LPE together with the improved productivity of the R 9600, has shown 29% less fuel consumption per tonne of produced material over a one-year production study, compared to its predecessor, the R 996B,” Liebherr says. “Expressed in fuel efficiency, tonnes per litre, this corresponds to a 40% better utilisation of the fuel.”

These efficiencies allow Liebherr excavators to set new benchmarks in its respective classes and are a very important enablers for any kind of future drive train, as they significantly reduce the effort for cable handling or refuelling and storage of alternative fuels, the company says.

Pathway to zero emission solutions

As second step, Liebherr is now targeting to offer completely fossil fuel free mining equipment for hauling, digging and dozing by 2030. This development will take into consideration the GHG emissions over equipment’s full lifecycle, as well as the overall well-to-wheel energy ecosystem. The company is also taking into account the operational mining process conditions that influence the right energy type choice.

Liebherr will develop three drivetrain options to achieve near zero emissions for its off-highway trucks: battery power module, internal combustion engines powered by renewable fuels, and H2 fuel cell-battery power module.

Drivetrain electrification through battery combined with trolley assist is already underway, according to the company.

Despite some challenges, Liebherr sees also an opportunity that the propulsion energy can be provided by using hydrogen fuel cell-battery hybrids.

Research and development for internal combustion engines operating with renewable-based alternative fuels is progressing very well within the Liebherr Group, with Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as an approved fuel for machines powered by Liebherr engines as a first step.

Hydrogen combustion engines are also currently being tested in Liebherr’s factory in Switzerland. The methanol combustion process has been developed for large displacement engines and is ready to move towards serial engine industrialisation based on market demand, according to the company. Additionally, the ammonia combustion process is under investigation, with Liebherr seeing high potential in the usage of ammonia for heavy mobile, high energy demanding machines and gensets.

Liebherr mining excavators and dozers will also both have the option to be powered by internal combustion engines running on alternative fuels, along with the already existing electric drive version for excavators.

To achieve near zero emissions for the mining dozer and excavator, it is also crucial to use the most efficient drive system to reduce fuel consumption. The Liebherr hydrostatic drive system already achieves up to 20% improved fuel efficiency compared with mechanical competitor products, it says.

Despite this, Liebherr is currently in the process of comparing efficiency of an electric drive on a dozer prototype with hydrostatic drive efficiency. Given Liebherr’s expertise in both hydrostatic and electric AC drive systems, the company says it is in the best position to choose the most appropriate option for the best drive system for the near zero emission solution.

To accelerate the process and ensure the best solutions will be offered, Liebherr is partnering with industry experts for its Zero Emission Program.

ABB, a leader in power and automation technologies, develops state-of-the-art technology and equipment for overall electrification of mine sites and supports Liebherr’s customers and the company with a particular focus on trolley assist infrastructure deployment.

ENGIE, a renewable hydrogen, low-carbon energy and services company, will jointly with Liebherr evaluate the different renewable energy solutions, in particular renewable hydrogen and hydrogen-derived fuels, for loading, hauling and dozing processes. This cooperation ensures that an integrated well-to-wheel approach is basis to define the best solutions for the mining industry, Liebherr says.

With concept studies nearly finalised for trolley-battery hybrid, and ammonia and methanol for internal combustion engines, Liebherr expects to undertake field validation from 2024-2026, followed by the integration of proven fossil fuel free solutions from 2026-2030 into the entire range of mining machines.

Komatsu teams with Rio, BHP, Codelco and Boliden on zero-emission mining solutions

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Working together to rapidly innovate in support of carbon reduction targets, Komatsu has teamed up with several of its customers to form the Komatsu Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Alliance.

The founding members of the alliance are Rio Tinto, BHP, Codelco and Boliden.

Through the alliance framework, Komatsu’s GHG partners will work directly with Komatsu to actively collaborate on product planning, development, testing and deployment of the next generation of zero-emission mining equipment and infrastructure, the OEM said. The alliance’s initial target is advancing Komatsu’s power-agnostic truck concept for a haulage vehicle that can run on a variety of power sources including diesel-electric, electric, trolley (wired), battery power and even hydrogen fuel cells.

“We are honoured that our customers, several of the largest mining companies in the world, have agreed to participate in the Komatsu GHG Alliance and work in partnership with us to develop sustainable solutions for mining,” Masayuki Moriyama, President of Komatsu’s Mining Business Division, said. “We look forward to close collaboration with these industry leaders to accelerate development and deployment of the next level of equipment designed to reduce greenhouse gases from mining operations and ultimately achieve the goal of zero-emission mining.”

The formation of the alliance brings together mining leaders willing to share time, resources and information to deliver zero-emissions equipment solutions, Komatsu said. The company intends to expand the alliance to additional mining companies to enhance industry-wide collaboration on solutions to decarbonisation.

In a separate release, Rio Tinto said it will conduct a pre-production trial of the new equipment at a site and has the option to purchase some of the first trucks from Komatsu once they are commercially viable.

Alf Barrios, Rio Tinto’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Rio Tinto and Komatsu have a shared history of partnership on innovation going back to when we built the world’s largest Komatsu autonomous haulage fleet in 2008.

“Our support of a trial, and the option to buy some of the first trucks from Komatsu, underscores our shared commitment to actively collaborate on product planning, development, testing and deployment of the next generation of zero-emission mining equipment and infrastructure as we look to decarbonise our business.”

As a company, Komatsu, meanwhile, says it is committed to minimising environmental impact through its business, targeting a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions from use of its products and production of its equipment by 2030 (compared with 2010 levels) and a challenge target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

Komatsu has worked to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for customers through product development for decades in many areas including electric diesel dump trucks, electric power shovels, regenerative energy storage capabilities and fuel saver programs, it said.

The company’s initial concept for a haulage vehicle that can run on a variety of power sources, part of the power-agnostic development, is set to make its official debut at MINExpo 2021 on September 13-15 in Las Vegas, USA.

Gold Fields to trial Caterpillar dual-fuel solution on haul trucks at Tarkwa mine

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Gold Fields plans to test the use of LNG to power haul trucks in a trial at its Tarkwa open-pit gold mine in Ghana, CEO Nick Holland told attendees of the IMARC Online event this week.

Speaking on a panel reviewing progress of the Innovation for Cleaner, Safer Vehicles (ICSV) initiative – a supply chain collaboration between the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) – Holland said the trial would involve a mix of LNG and diesel fuel at the operation, and four trucks would initially be tested with the fuel combination in 2021.

Gold Fields later confirmed to IM that the trial would take place in the second half of 2021 and involve the use of Caterpillar’s dual-fuel LNG Dynamic Gas Blending (DGB) retrofit system on four of the mine’s Cat 785C 146 t payload dump trucks.

The DGB conversion kits, available on Cat 785C and 793D haul trucks, are a dual-fuel technology that enables miners to substitute diesel fuel with LNG, according to Cat. The use of LNG has been proven to reduce emissions by up to 30%, as well as lower costs by up to 30%, Cat says.

DGB vaporises liquid fuel into natural gas, then replaces diesel fuel with LNG when possible. On average, DGB replaces about 60-65% of diesel with LNG, according to Cat.

Tarkwa, which is 90% owned by Gold Fields, produced 519,000 oz of gold in 2019, 1% lower than the 525,000 oz produced in 2018. It employs Engineers & Planners Co Ltd as mining contractor.

While this trial will potentially lower the company’s carbon emissions – as will Gold Fields’ plan to fit “diesel filters” on all its machines underground in the next 12-18 months – Holland pointed to a much loftier long-term goal during the ICSV panel.

“The challenge to our teams and OEMs is to move away from diesel completely,” he said.

Such a move could see the company employ both battery-powered and hydrogen-powered solutions at its underground mines, he added.

Sandvik to add rock bolter to battery-powered mining line up

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Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology plans to launch its first and one of the the mining industry’s first battery-powered rock bolters next year, as it continues to roll out new solutions to electrify the underground mining space.

The Sandvik DS412iE extends the zero emissions concept to the underground rock bolter class and opens a wide range of possibilities for mines driven to boost their productivity and safety with data-based analytics, according to the company.

In its core mission of delivering productive, secure and versatile rock support solutions, Sandvik rock bolters have a clear track record, according to the company.

“Still, these tools’ automation and data acquisition capabilities have not been as advanced as their production and development drill rig counterparts,” the company said. “Scheduled for launch during 2021, the new Sandvik DS412iE rock bolter will complement the intelligent family of next-generation battery-powered underground drill rigs.”

Anssi Kouhia, Product Manager, Rock Support Drills, said the DS412iE is basically an upgrade on its existing Sandvik DS411.

“We have received positive feedback about that model,” Kouhia said. “We made an accomplished model even better with more advanced automation capabilities, improved data acquisition and upgraded ergonomics.”

Like the battery-powered DD422iE  jumbo drill, the rig trams on battery and carries out drilling and bolting when connected to the mains power.

Along with its direct predecessor, the new intelligent bolter also has much in common with the larger Sandvik DS512i in the 5 x 5 m drift size. One example is their similar versatility in terms of bolting systems: Sandvik DS512i and Sandvik DS412iE can handle a wide range of bolt types and lengths, including a combination of automatic cement mixer and automatic resin injection on the same bolter.

The new Sandvik DS412iE will effectively complete Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology’s rock support drill range for the 4 x 4 m class, updating its entire product range to the latest i-standard of connectivity and automation capabilities, the company said. Additionally, the Sandvik DS412iE will be the supplier’s first battery-powered rock bolter.

“In other words, the zero underground emissions approach will now include all stages of the underground mining process: rock support drilling as well as development and production drilling and loading and hauling,” Sandvik said. “The ability to virtually eliminate underground particulate matter, NOx, CO2 and heat emissions is first and foremost a major health and safety benefit, but also offers cost savings by reducing mine ventilation power requirements.”

The new rig responds to major industry trends that customers have identified in feedback sessions, Sandvik said.

In addition to reducing underground emissions and improving working conditions, the safety and environmental improvements also make economic sense by reducing time lost to injuries and costs. The advanced automation capabilities will increase the speed and safety of the bolting cycles as well as open a range of possibilities for process optimisation, the OEM said. “This will translate into more reliable rock supporting and safer working environments.”

Like one-hole automation that has been a standard feature in Sandvik mining and tunnelling jumbos, the one-bolt automation feature of Sandvik DS412iE now extends this capability to rock bolters, Sandvik said.

“The rig can carry out a single bolting cycle unassisted, so that in optimal conditions the operator only needs to manually relocate the boom from one bolt location to another,” the company said.

The battery-powered unit will come with two automation levels: the standard Silver package from the outset and, in the near future, the optional extended Gold level. The main difference between the two packages is in the remote monitoring and operating capabilities and in the measurement-while-drilling functionality.

The automation packages seamlessly mesh with Sandvik iSure software, according to the company. Available as a standard tool for designing drift drilling plans and blasting plans, iSure now increasingly extends to bolting operations and comes in three levels: iSure Basic and iSure Plus for the standard Silver automation package, and iSure Premium for the optional Gold level automation. The advanced automation solutions can offer a significant productivity and quality boost, Sandvik said.

“With iSure, you can design a bolting pattern in the office, transfer it to the rig over Wi-Fi or on a USB flash drive, carry out the bolting according to the pattern, and, on top of that, you can retrieve a report that compares the plan and the realised bolting pattern,” Kouhia says.

iSure compatibility, in particular, enables more extensive data acquisition and reporting, Sandvik said.

In addition to the bolting pattern, the retrieved data will also include various parameters that characterise the quality of the bolting process, such as grouting concrete consumption and bolt tightening torques. This can serve to document the bolting process in much greater detail than it did previously, which enables more accurate quality control of the rock supporting measures.

The verifiable track record of the rock support measures taken provides systematic safety documentation and, should a failure still occur, the bolting process reports can help to determine the cause of it, down to the level of an individual bolt – when it was installed, how it was installed and whether it complied with set specifications.

Full compatibility with the My Sandvik fleet management portal and the OptiMine suite of digital mine automation and analytics solutions further enhances the connectivity of Sandvik DS412iE, providing all-round data-based control for rock support operations, the company said.

While the main areas of focus for Sandvik DS412iE surround automation, connectivity and data acquisition capabilities, productivity has not been neglected, Sandvik said.

The new boom control system, advanced boom manipulator mode and optimised bolting head movements help the operator to achieve a smooth and efficient process by keeping the bolting head automatically aligned with the correct bolt fan positions and angles, the company explained.

In terms of sheer mechanical power, much of the new bolter’s high productivity derives from the new control system of the Sandvik RD314 rock drill, which substantially increases the output and penetration rate. Overall, the productivity upgrade is roughly 25% from previous models, according to Sandvik.

The Sandvik DS412iE includes many safety and ergonomic features.

The bolter is designed to be compliant with the EN16228 standard for drilling and foundation equipment, which is harmonised with the requirements of the European Machinery Directive. One of the EN16228 requirements is an access detection system (ADS). In the Sandvik DS412iE, the ADS automatically scans the surroundings of the bolter and alerts the operator should a person enter the work area, which effectively reduces potential accidents. The safety improvements also include a fully covered steel strand reel.

The Sandvik DS412iE continues the bolter class’ legacy of secure and effective cabin design, Sandvik says, with a 55% percent improvement in visibility, better effective vibration control and significant noise reduction adding up to a safer and more comfortable workplace for the operator.

Future launches will also include a diesel-powered version, Sandvik DS412i, which will be compliant with the latest engine emission specifications, Sanvik said.

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared on Sandvik’s Solid Ground platform here.

Nevada Gold Mines adds natural gas to power remit, mulls solar options

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Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) says it has approved the conversion of its TS Coal Power Plant to a dual fuel process, allowing the facility to generate power from natural gas.

This conversion, which will enable the facility to reduce carbon emissions by as much as 50%, is in support of Nevada’s carbon-reduction objectives and is in partnership with Governor Sisolak’s administration, NGM said.

NGM is currently working with the State of Nevada on final permitting to allow construction to begin near the end of 2020, with the goal of final commissioning in the June quarter of 2022.

As part of its overall energy management strategy, NGM is also reviewing the potential for a 200 MW solar facility with battery storage. The intention is to phase construction, initially installing 100 MW that could produce power as early as 2022. A study is currently underway and, once the project is approved, NGM will work with the State of Nevada and the Office of Energy on permitting, it said.

Greg Walker, Executive Managing Director, NGM, said: “Nevada Gold Mines is committed to providing its operations low cost, secure power generation through northeastern Nevada’s power grid now and into the future. The conversion of NGM’s TS Power Plant and the potential for an additional solar power facility illustrates this commitment while reducing the State’s carbon emissions.”

NGM has two power generation facilities in northern Nevada with the TS Power Plant in Dunphy and the Western 102 Power Plant outside of Reno. The TS Power Plant commenced operation in 2008 and has a capacity of 215 MW power generation from its original coal-fired process. The Western 102 Power Plant has a capacity of 115 MW, supplying power from natural gas fired generators and a 1 MW Solar Facility, according to NGM.