Tag Archives: Clayton Franklin

EPCA demonstrating real-world battery haulage business case at Bakers Hill mine

Environmental, Mining equipment, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

Electric Power Conversion Australia (EPCA), a Perth, Western Australia-based company, is gaining attention for its advancements in electrifying heavy machinery, with its biggest project to date, a fully retrofitted Caterpillar 777 haul truck operating entirely on battery power, taking another step towards becoming a commercial proposition.

Founded by Clayton Franklin, who also leads its engineering team as Chief Engineer, the company plans to retrofit up to 70 trucks annually from diesel to battery-electric.

Having initially showcased this vehicle at The Electric Mine 2024, in Perth, in May, followed by an appearance in Kalgoorlie at Diggers and Dealers, the company has now progressed to trial operations.

At Bakers Hill, a sand mine located just 40 minutes north of Perth, EPCA’s fully battery-electric 91 t haulage truck has been hard at work for the past month. This test phase marks a significant step forward for the company, demonstrating EPCA’s commitment to sustainability, efficiency and innovation while enhancing operational efficiency and cutting costs, the company says.

The retrofit of the CAT 777 represents a complete overhaul, not just a minor upgrade. The diesel engine has been entirely replaced with an electric motor powered by high-capacity batteries (supplied by Xerotech), marking a radical shift in the truck’s operation. More than 5.9 t of components were removed and replaced by six batteries, each weighing 1.4 t. In the end, the truck is now 2.5 t lighter, thanks to the reduced weight of the custom-designed tray made by Austin Engineering, EPCA says.

This transformation offers far more than environmental benefits; it significantly enhances efficiency and operational viability, the company explains. Additionally, the electric truck is expected to reduce maintenance and operational costs for mining companies compared with the diesel equivalent, providing a cleaner, more cost-effective alternative to traditional diesel-powered trucks. EPCA assures that, over 20 years, the total cost of ownership for a diesel truck will be approximately A$25 million ($17 million), while the battery-electric truck’s total will come in at A$11.5 million.

Performance data and results

Bakers Hill, a privately held sand mine, provides the perfect environment for EPCA to push the limits of its technology, according to the company. The eastern side of the mine was prepared for testing, with a grader pushing up a ramp featuring a 17% incline and a turnback. Though it is a sand mine, the conditions and setup at Bakers Hill are comparable to a bauxite mine in terms of depth and incline, offering a realistic representation of the challenges this truck might face at commercial-scale mining operations.

In these conditions, the electric truck has shown impressive performance metrics, according to EPCA. During standard operations, the truck has consistently delivered over 10 hours of runtime on a single charge, with the battery taking just 50 minutes to fully recharge. This quick turnaround time ensures that the truck can maintain its productivity, minimising downtime while still offering substantial energy savings.

One of the key tests involved driving the truck on a 17% incline, where it consumed 252 kWh of energy. On the descent, the regenerative braking system was able to recover 35 kWh (15%). When stationary, with the auxiliary systems running, the truck consumes around 20 kWh/h.

The truck is designed for 91-t payloads, with the testing at Bakers Hill revealing that it can handle inclines of up to 27% under full load. This makes it an ideal candidate for some of the most challenging mining operations where steep inclines and heavy loads are standard, EPCA says.

Scalable fast-charging solution

Delivering charging infrastructure on mine sites is challenging. Mining companies are forced to deploy large and expensive infrastructure to be able to charge large electric fleets. EPCA has collaborated with Western Australia-based integrated energy solution provider UON Pty Ltd, who has developed the SMART™ (Scalable, Modular, Automated, Renewable, Temperature controlled) CELL DC Fast Charging solution, which can charge the CAT 777 haul truck in less than 50 minutes, according to the company. The UON charging solution has been designed to operate in harsh Western Australian mining conditions, ensuring reliable charging power at all times.

The UON SMART DC Fast Charging can be seamlessly connected to the existing grid or be powered completely by 100% renewable energy, such as solar, providing much-needed charging infrastructure in grid-constrained locations, the company says. Its all-in-one mobile Battery EV charging solution is fully mine-compliant and can be easily redeployed on any brownfield or greenfield mine, which enables mining companies to avoid a large investment in infrastructure, UON says.

Real-world demonstrations and future steps

EPCA has already showcased the truck at Bakers Hill to several Tier-One mining companies, all of whom have expressed very positive reactions, according to EPCA. “These real-world demonstrations are designed to showcase the truck’s capabilities and the benefits of electrification in reducing carbon emissions and operational costs,” it says.

Following the Bakers Hill trials, EPCA plans to move into endurance testing in 2025 and run this design for many thousands of hours before moving into mass production.

The company concluded: “EPCA is well positioned to meet the increasing demand for battery-electric mining trucks. Supported by a robust distribution network, the company is set to fulfil its order book of over 600 trucks, reinforcing its leadership in the electrification of the mining industry.

“The future of mining is electric, and EPCA’s work is leading the way in making that a reality.”

EPCA to produce 50-70 battery-electric mining trucks a year, Xerotech says

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , ,

Having showcased its “Green Machine” to attendees at two major events in Australia recently, Electric Power Conversion Australia (EPCA) now has plans to produce 50-70 battery-electric mining trucks annually, according to a recent case study from one of its suppliers.

EPCA, located in Perth, Western Australia, recently electrified a CAT 777 100-ton (91-t) mining truck using a Xerotech Battery System. Known as the “Green Machine”, this project marks a significant advancement in mining truck electrification and showcases EPCA’s expertise in converting diesel mining equipment to fully battery-electric systems, Xerotech says.

EPCA faced the challenge of delivering high power levels for extended operations within the constraints of the existing truck design. Space is a key factor in battery system integration and the widespread adoption of battery-electric applications. The solution was to install six 290 kWh Xerotech batteries, its largest single pack, running in parallel to generate a total of 1741.8 kWh and 671 V. This installation transformed this CAT 777 into the world’s highest energy density, battery-electric mining truck, the supplier claims.

Clayton Franklin, Chief Engineer and Founder of EPCA, said: “We’ve now got the world’s highest energy density, full battery-electric mining truck.”

This truck was first showcased at The Electric Mine 2024, in May of this year, with attendees of the event at Crown Perth able to see the machine in the iron. The company has since gone on to display the machine at Diggers & Dealers, in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, this week.

Switching to battery-electric power increased the truck’s horsepower from 1,000 hp (746 kW) to 1,120 hp and improved the torque from 4,700 Nm to 5,200 Nm. This performance boost, along with an efficiency leap from 35% to 95%, underscores the advantages of the Xerotech battery system, the company said.

The Green Machine offers numerous benefits to operators, including reduced noise and vibration, enhancing comfort and safety. It can run for eight hours on a full charge and recharges in just 50 minutes using smart charging technology, making it ideal for continuous mining operations, EPCA says. “For an operator operating this machine, the advantage is no noise, low vibration,” Franklin said, emphasising the improved safety features, including a SIL2-rated functional safety system.

EPCA plans to produce 50-70 battery-electric mining trucks annually. With 5,500 mining trucks in Australia and 55,000 globally, the potential impact is substantial, it says. Franklin said: “Our mining clients here in Australia are ecstatic that this truck’s being built and manufactured right here in Western Australia.”

Xerotech’s vision of a fully electric future is, the company says, supported by its scalable and configurable battery platform, enabling every OEM and integrator to embrace electrification. With no recurring engineering and design costs, electrifying prototypes or entire fleets is both feasible and cost-effective.

The Electric Mine Consortium and EPCA to run Cat 777 electric truck trial

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Power supply for mines, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Electric Mine Consortium is looking to bridge the gap between the testing of electrified ultra-class haul trucks and continued rollout across industry of battery-electric underground trucks with a project to develop and trial a retrofitted 100-ton (91 t) haul truck as part of its consortium work in Australia.

It has teamed up with Electric Power Conversions Australia (EPCA), an Indigenous electric battery conversion company in Australia, to run a Caterpillar 777 haul truck electric vehicle demonstrator project.

The consortium explained: “The Electric Mine Consortium are focused across all fleet sizes when it comes to electrification. In our recent work, we have uncovered that in the area of larger surface in-pit trucks, there are some trials underway, however there is a lack of focus on the smaller trucks. Making sure we understand and trial electric technologies in smaller fleets is important to our members, and we were recently presented with an opportunity to do so by Electric Power Conversions Australia, an Indigenous electric battery conversion company in Australia.”

The conversion of the vehicle – one of the most commonly used surface trucks across the Tier 2 and Tier 3 mining company market, according to the consortium – will see the 750 kW diesel motor switched out with a 1,000 kW electric motor and 2 MWh of batteries, according to Clayton Franklin, founder and CEO of EPCA.

Franklin said he was expecting this configuration to allow for an eight-hour average run time, providing 30% more power than the diesel equivalent and the ability to move material quicker. He also predicted a 50% reduction in total cost of ownership on the battery-converted truck when compared with the diesel truck.

EPCA was founded in 2021 with the vision of providing a practical solution to the growing environmental impact of the Australian mining industry. Franklin himself was the lead engineer on a 220-t hydrogen-battery hybrid mining truck and also for an Epiroc D65 drill rig that was electrified.

The Electric Mine Consortium is a growing group of leading mining and service companies. These companies are driven by the imperative to accelerate progress towards the fully electrified zero CO2 and zero particulates mine. Mining companies Gold Fields, South32, OZ Minerals, IGO Ltd, Evolution Mining, Iluka Resources, MMG and Sandfire Resources are among the participants.

In the short time since the establishment, the consortium’s membership has grown almost two-fold, with over 40 ongoing equipment trials in 15 different locations having been mobilised.