Tag Archives: DD422iE

Bellevue Gold reinforces sustainable production growth plans with addition of Sandvik DD422iE BEV

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Bellevue Gold Limited has started the underground decline development at the Tribune portal, part of its namesake mine in Western Australia, employing a new Sandvik DD422iE battery-electric jumbo as part of its production growth strategy.

The Tribune decline milestone is significant because Tribune will provide a second independent mine access route. It will be the sixth independent mining area, which is being developed by an additional fifth jumbo (the Sandvik 422iE). It is expected to access ore from the Tribune lode in the December 2024 quarter.

Bellevue’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Darren Stralow, said: “The commencement of Tribune is important as it not only provides an additional mining area and haulage decline, but it also creates the platform for commencement of the southern drill drive to target mine life extensions.

“The key infrastructure upgrades are a core part of the Bellevue growth plan and will unlock the ability to achieve the mining rates required for increased production. We are already seeing the benefits of increased ventilation and work areas in our underground mining rates, and the successful dewatering of the old workings unlocks high-grade ore to mine in the upcoming quarters that was previously inaccessible.”

Underground development rates are scheduled to increase over the second half of the company’s 2025 financial year as infrastructure constraints are released and more working areas become available, with the production expected to be back-ended to the second half of the financial year as further development headings and underground advance rates ramp up to a forecast run rate of 1.35 Mt/y by the end of the financial year.

Production guidance for FY25 is 165,000-180,000 oz at a project all-in sustaining cost of A$1,750-1,850/oz ($1,166-1,233/oz) of gold with the production profile weighted towards the second half of this financial year.

The company recently released its five-year growth plan which sees production forecast to ramp up to more than 200,000 oz/y run rate from the last quarter of that financial year before reaching circa-250,000 oz/y in the 2028 financial year.

The ramp up of underground tonnages continues to advance with the key ventilation upgrade in construction and commissioning due to commence on September 18, 2024. The ventilation upgrade will initially increase underground vent flows by 50% and will provide fit-for-purpose vent fans suitable for the life of mine, Bellevue says. Historic mine dewatering has also reached a significant milestone with the dewatering of the old workings now allowing for the removal of the safety exclusion zone from the historic underground. This will unlock mining of high-grade development and stoping in the Armand mining area.

These two key infrastructure works are expected to assist in de-bottlenecking the underground and allow more efficient use of the mining fleet.

The addition of a Sandvik DD422iE battery-electric vehicle, which trams on battery and plugs into the mine’s captive power infrastructure during drilling operations, demonstrates Bellevue’s commitment to electrification of the mining fleet where practical, the company says.

The Sandvik DD422iE is an electric development jumbo designed to drive down production costs while reducing the environmental impacts of drilling and tunnelling. By using electric energy from an onboard battery during tramming, Sandvik DD422iE produces zero emissions while manoeuvring between headings, the OEM says. This improves health and safety for miners working underground. Less diesel usage in a mine thanks to diesel-free drilling can ease ventilation requirements, while also reducing associated diesel logistics and maintenance expenses. Using a mine’s existing electric infrastructure, the Sandvik driveline technology enables the battery to recharge during the drilling cycle. The battery will even recharge while Sandvik DD422iE is tramming downhill, using energy generated by the braking system.

Byrnecut rolls out first Sandvik battery-powered jumbo in South Australia

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Contract miner Byrnecut has taken the next step on its journey towards expanding its battery-electric equipment fleet with the roll-out of the Sandvik DD422iE development drill with dual controls at the BHP-owned Prominent Hill mine in South Australia.

The drill is the first battery-electric Sandvik development drill in operation in Australia.

Byrnecut took delivery of the battery electric jumbo at Prominent Hill copper mine in December 2023. The machine was put to work alongside Byrnecut’s existing fleet of diesel-powered equipment, including Sandvik development drills, production drills, cable bolters, trucks and loaders. Five months on, drill operators and Byrnecut management alike are impressed by the jumbo’s reliability and its contribution to a cleaner, quieter underground environment, Sandvik reports.

Technical Services Manager at Byrnecut, Dave Taylor, said th Sandvik DD422iE jumbo has “fitted in exactly” as a diesel-powered drill would have, working as it is designed to.

“It’s got all the pros that you would expect, just without all the fumes that come out of the diesel engine,” he added. “We always want to be at the forefront of technology and to look for ways to reduce emissions and diesel particulates – and this is one way of doing that.”

Taylor says the roll-out was simplified, as the Sandvik DD422iE charges by using the same electrical infrastructure used to power the rock drills on the diesel-powered jumbos. “The jumbos we currently have use their diesel engines to tram around but are plugged in and the rock drills run off thousand-volt power via a trailing cable,” he says. “There’s was no additional infrastructure because the DD422iE is charging using what’s already there in the diesel version.”

In a typical scenario, the Sandvik battery-electric jumbo will tram to the work site using electricity stored in its battery. While drilling is underway, the battery is recharged via the patented Sandvik Charging While Drilling technology, allowing the machine to tram away once the drilling cycle is completed.

General Manager for Byrnecut Australia, Craig Barendrecht, says the feedback he has received on the drill is positive despite some initial reservations. “It’s fitted in seamlessly and we’ve had no dramas with operating a battery drill amongst the standard diesel fleet.”

Barendrecht says with Byrnecut planning to increase their battery-electric equipment fleet, the performance of the jumbo is encouraging. “We’ve never previously seen a massive market for the battery jumbo because of the restrictions around tramming distances,” he says. “This is helping to dispel some of those preconceived concerns with how to actually fit an electric jumbo in amongst the traditional diesel fleet.

“This is just an incremental step in getting to that ultimate point where we run a full electric fleet of drills and loaders and trucks.”

Maintenance Superintendent, Mark Noden, says there was an initial learning curve around maintenance requirements for the battery electric rig. However, from an operator perspective it is simple to step from the diesel model to the electric. “I have had no complaints and the support from Sandvik is always good,” he says.

Nathan Cunningham, Business Line Manager for Underground Drills at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, says Byrnecut has consistently demonstrated that it is a forward-thinking mining business, and the purchase of the Sandvik DD422iE reinforces this. “Byrnecut’s trust in the Sandvik product has paid off with the rig operating exactly as it was expected to.”

Bolting operations with Sandvik DD422iE battery-electric rig commence at McIlvenna Bay

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The underground mining team at the McIlvenna Bay project in Saskatchewan, Canada, has reached a major milestone by installing the first resin anchored rebar bolts with the Sandvik DD422iE rig, the OEM reports.

This battery-powered machine – which carries out tramming on battery and plugs into the mine grid for face operations – is a multi-purpose jumbo that allows miners to bolt and bore with a single machine. This results in a significantly reduced overall cycle time that supports rapid development, Sandvik says.

Back in 2022, Sandvik announced it would supply a fleet of 20 battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), including trucks, loaders and drills, for the project in what was its biggest battery-electric vehicle order to date.

Among this 20-strong fleet was seven Sandvik 18-t-payload LH518B loaders, six Sandvik 50-t-payload TH550B trucks, four Sandvik DD422iE jumbo drill rigs, two Sandvik DL422iE longhole drills and one Sandvik DS412iE mechanical bolter.

The owner of the mine, Foran Mining, is putting these machines to work alongside help from contractor Procon Mining and Tunnelling.

Sandvik adds DD322i and DD422i development drills to Digital Driller simulator line-up

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Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions has introduced two new virtual training simulators to its Digital Driller™ offering. The new Sandvik DD322i and Sandvik DD422i Dual Controls simulators feature the latest software and advanced training methods for underground drill operators and maintenance teams, the company says.

Digital Driller simulators offer an authentic, safer learning environment for operator training across all underground hard-rock drilling applications. The virtual training environment means operators can be trained on site with zero damage to equipment or the mine environment, and no impact on machine availability.

Tiia Pohjanlehto, Sandvik Underground Drilling Training Academy Manager, said: “With the addition of the DD322i and DD422i Dual Controls models, we’re enabling even more comprehensive operator training. We can tangibly improve efficiency, productivity and safety, as operators can be trained before the drill rig arrives, on site, or during rig maintenance.”

The new DD322i and Dual Controls simulators complement the introduction of Sandvik DD322i and DD422iE Dual Control development drills to the Sandvik underground drilling portfolio in 2022.

Both new simulators retain the classic features of Digital Driller – such as total location flexibility, easy setup, customisable training courses and group learning – and now feature upgraded software for a more sophisticated and authentic operator experience, Sandvik claims.

The Dual Controls simulator, showcased earlier this year at the CIM Convention in Montreal, replicates the unique dual drilling control panel available for Sandvik DD422i and Sandvik DD422iE rigs, and can be further customised to include either one or two control panels during training, depending on the application. Operators can experience true multi-task operations from a single control panel, including bolting, boring and meshing.

The innovative Digital Driller simulators also offer environmental and sustainability benefits, with no rock tools or fuel consumed during training, zero damage to the rig or mine and zero harm to personnel, Sandvik says.

These simulators can be used across all competency levels, from product familiarisation and basic training for novice operators, to developing and refreshing the skills of experienced operators. Trained operators receive a formal qualification in Beginner, Professional or Drill Master levels after each module has been completed, the company added.

Australia’s first fully-automated, battery-electric Sandvik DL422iE drill goes to work at IGO Nova

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IGO and Barminco have put Sandvik’s DL422iE longhole drill to work at the Nova operation in Western Australia, becoming the first mine in Australia to roll out the fully-automated, battery-electric rig.

The nickel-copper-cobalt mine, in the Fraser Range, is owned by IGO and operated by Barminco. Both companies have been trailblazers in terms of trialling electrified mining technologies and, like Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, they are a part of the Electric Mine Consortium.

Barminco purchased the Sandvik DL422iE, which was commissioned and put to work in July.

Darren Kwok, Head of Mining Electrification and Technology at Barminco, said: “Accelerating decarbonisation is one of our sustainability priorities and there are clear benefits to using battery-electric vehicles in the underground environment. Reducing or eliminating diesel emissions improves working conditions for our people and also has the potential to improve efficiency and profitability. We’re very excited to see the benefits that this new Sandvik rig can provide.”

Chris Carr, Head of Technical Services and Acting General Manager Nova at IGO, added: “At IGO, we believe in a clean energy future, and that extends to our underground mining operations where the electrification of our fleets will create a safer, greener and more productive operation. The arrival of the new Sandvik drill is an important step towards our commitment to be net zero across our direct operations and projects by 2035, if not sooner.”

The Sandvik DL422iE is a fully-automated, battery-powered top hammer longhole drill designed for underground mass mining in 4 x 4 m or larger production drifts, Sandvik says. It can drill vertical and inclined fans and single or parallel Ø89-127 mm longholes up to 54 m in depth using ST58 and ST68 tube rods.

The drill’s electric driveline includes a battery package and electric motor to allow for zero emissions while tramming and also reduced thermal load. The DL422iE also features Sandvik’s patented Charging While Drilling technology; an innovation for reduced battery charging time without the need for additional infrastructure.

Nathan Cunningham, Business Line Manager at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said: “We’re seeing considerable customer interest in Sandvik battery-electric vehicle solutions that help remove diesel from underground mines. If a miner is able to achieve a fully-electric underground operation there can a be a flow-on effect for the ventilation capacity calculations. For new mines, in particular, this can reduce bring a double benefit – better worker health and a reduction in the work required to meet ventilation requirements.”

The DL422iE is part of the Sandvik 400iE series of drill rigs that, together, provide a battery-electric solution to just about every underground challenge.

“Other members of the family include the Sandvik DD422iE mining and tunnelling jumbo and the Sandvik DS412iE rock bolter,” Cunningham says. “The DD422iE was launched in 2016 and has since logged more than 4 million metres of drilled holes and over 18,000 kilometres of tramming with zero emissions. Meanwhile, the DS412iE rock bolter was launched in 2021 and is rapidly transforming mines across the world.”

Kwok added: “Electrification/decarbonisation is a key priority for Barminco and one of the most important trends in the sector at the moment, alongside automation. For this reason, we’re delighted to have Sandvik as a technology partner who is providing industry-leading solutions to the challenges we face.”

Fully owned by IGO, the Nova Operation uses long hole and sub-level open stoping with paste backfill. In thr 2022 financial year, it achieved total production of 26,675 t of nickel, 11,483 t of copper, and 982 t of cobalt.

Foran Mining and Sandvik reveal first battery-electric DD422iE jumbo at CIM 2023

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Foran Mining and Sandvik have unveiled the first Sandvik battery-electric jumbo drill, a DD422iE, to be used at its McIlvenna Bay project in Saskatchewan, Canada, at the CIM 2023 conference in Montreal.

The DD422iE is part of a 20-strong battery-electric vehicle fleet for the project and comes with drilling and bolting capabilities.

When Sandvik announced the fleet order with Foran Mining last year – its largest BEV order at the time. It was to include seven Sandvik 18-t-payload LH518B loaders, six Sandvik 50-t-payload TH550B trucks, four Sandvik DD422iE jumbo drill rigs, two Sandvik DL422iE longhole drills and one Sandvik DS412iE mechanical bolter. Delivery of the equipment was scheduled to begin this year and continue into 2025, Sandvik said.

In the post announcing the milestone BEV drill, Foran said: “The innovative electric DD422IE, with drilling & bolting capabilities, reinforces our commitment to delivering carbon-neutral critical mineral production. As a company, we remain dedicated to developing and implementing eco-friendly solutions that will have a lasting positive impact on the environment and the communities we serve.”

The 2022 feasibility study on McIlvenna Bay outlined a 4,200 t/d operation over an 18.4-year mine life, able to produce an average annual production of 33,000 t of copper-equivalent output over the first 15 years of mine life. By individual metal this equates to 17,600 t of copper, 28,900 t of zinc, 20,000 oz of gold and 486,000 oz of silver.

Sandvik to supply Rana Gruber with 19-strong fleet of battery-electric vehicles

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Rana Gruber has selected Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions to supply a fleet of 19 battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), including trucks, loaders and drills, for its iron ore operations in Storforshei in northern Norway.

The agreement, worth some SEK370 million ($36 million), underpins Rana Gruber’s aim to operate the world’s first carbon-free iron ore mine by the end of 2025.

Sandvik’s second-largest battery-electric mining fleet to date will include six Sandvik TH550B trucks, five Sandvik LH518B loaders, four Sandvik DL422iE longhole drills, two Sandvik DS412iE mechanical bolters and two Sandvik DD422iE jumbos. Delivery of the equipment will begin during the March quarter and is planned to continue through 2024. Sandvik will also provide on-site service support and batteries.

Gunnar Moe, Chief Executive Officer of Rana Gruber, said: “We’re proud that our mining operations already have among the industry’s lowest CO2 footprints but we have even higher ambitions to completely eliminate our carbon emissions. We have a crystal-clear decarbonisation strategy. When we announced our 2025 goal in 2020, many did not believe it would be possible, but we’re taking another major step forward partnering with Sandvik to implement a battery-electric fleet that will improve our work environment and reduce our operational costs. Most importantly, BEVs will help us achieve our ambitious goals for carbon-free mining.”

Moe said Sandvik’s philosophy around batteries and its approach to battery safety was an important factor in Rana Gruber’s selection process.

“This is a new world for us but Sandvik has extensive battery-electrification expertise,” he said. “We are already very pleased with our cooperation with Sandvik and their commitment to support our BEV transition, not as a supplier but as a true partner wanting to take the journey with us.”

Established in 1964, Rana Gruber produces approximately 1.8 Mt/y of iron ore concentrate from its five deposits in Norway’s Dunderland Valley. Its resource base includes more than 440 Mt of iron ore.

Sandvik has supplied underground equipment to Rana Gruber for more than 25 years. The companies signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen their partnership in November 2021. Trans4Mine, Sandvik’s in-house consultancy, conducted studies and simulations to advise Rana Gruber on BEV fleet requirements, charging station locations and other mining cycle optimisation opportunities, resulting in a letter of intent in November 2022.

Mats Eriksson, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said: “BEVs have demonstrated their power to reduce a mining operation’s carbon footprint. Rana Gruber is a pioneer in the mining electrification shift in Europe, and we look forward to supporting their battery-electric transition.”

Sandvik to deliver ‘biggest BEV fleet to date’ for Foran’s McIlvenna Bay

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Foran Mining has selected Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions to supply a fleet of 20 battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), including trucks, loaders and drills, for its McIlvenna Bay project in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Set to be one of the world’s first carbon-neutral copper development projects, McIlvenna Bay will be powered by clean hydroelectric power and designed to take advantage of Sandvik’s latest technological advances in sustainable mining, the OEM says.

Sandvik’s biggest BEV fleet to date will include seven Sandvik 18-t-payload LH518B loaders (pictured dumping into a TH550B), six Sandvik 50-t-payload TH550B trucks, four Sandvik DD422iE jumbo drill rigs, two Sandvik DL422iE longhole drills and one Sandvik DS412iE mechanical bolter. Delivery of the equipment is scheduled to begin next year and continue into 2025, Sandvik says.

Sandvik will also provide on-site service support and Battery as a Service by Sandvik at the underground copper-zinc mining project located in east-central Saskatchewan.

Jakob Rutqvist, VP Strategy and Commercial for Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions’ Battery and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (BHEV) Business Unit, said: “This record contract is the culmination of a year-long collaborative effort between Foran Mining and Sandvik and demonstrates a shared vision that electrification will drive the future of sustainable mining. BEVs have enormous potential to reduce a mining operation’s carbon footprint, and Canada continues to be the epicentre for mining electrification and a blueprint for what to expect in other major mining regions very soon.”

Copper and zinc are critical metals for the transition to a low-carbon future as essential elements of electrical grids, solar panels, wind turbines and batteries. The McIlvenna Bay project intends to supply those minerals in a way that will not only be carbon neutral but ultimately have a net positive impact on the climate, according to Sandvik.

Dave Bernier, Chief Operating Officer of Foran Mining, said: “This is a very exciting period for Foran as we continue to execute on our initiatives to permit, construct and operate McIlvenna Bay. Sandvik is a global leader in industrial battery technology and we look forward to working together on our project. Utilising battery-electric equipment with semi- and fully-autonomous capabilities can help us achieve carbon neutral targets and provide a safer working environment, which is part of our Net Positive Business strategy as we look to deliver critical metals essential for global decarbonisation in a responsible and socially-empowering way.”

Foran Mining conducted a thorough analysis during its 2020 prefeasibility study to determine the investment case for BEVs compared with diesel. The company determined that BEVs would deliver better financial results at McIlvenna Bay when considering the savings generated through lower ventilation capital and operating costs.

That report, authored by AGP Mining Consultants Inc, envisaged the potential use of 7 Sandvik LH517i LHDs and 11 Artisan Vehicles (Sandvik) Z50 battery electric trucks for a 3,600 t/d of polymetallic ore operation.

Stefan Widing, President and CEO of Sandvik, said: “I am very pleased that Foran Mining has chosen Sandvik to deliver our leading battery-electric solutions for the pioneering McIlvenna Bay project. We see very strong momentum for our mining electrification offering, which offers great potential in driving more sustainable mining, helping customers to boost productivity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve workers’ health.”

A dedicated on-site project team will be jointly working with the mine’s operations team to ensure the products and services in the delivery scope support the alliance on Foran’s journey towards more productive, efficient and sustainable mining, Sandvik said.

“Battery as a Service by Sandvik will enable McIlvenna Bay to get the most out of its battery-electric equipment by relying on unrivaled expertise to manage the capacity and health of batteries and chargers throughout their long lives,” it added.

Sandvik to supply battery-electric vehicle fleet to Hindustan Zinc’s SK Mine

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Sandvik and Hindustan Zinc have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for supply of a battery-electric underground equipment fleet to be used at Sindesar Khurd Mine to help it achieve its carbon neutrality ambitions.

Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the March quarter of 2023, with the fleet being the first underground battery-electric fleet to be deployed in India.

The equipment to be delivered includes an 18-t-payload LH518B loader and three 50-t-payload TH550B trucks (pictured) as well as a DD422iE drill rig with Sandvik’s unique and patented ”charging-while-drilling” technology, the company said.

Sandvik will also provide batteries, charging systems and a full-range on-site battery and equipment service team. The loader and the trucks will be equipped with AutoSwap, Sandvik’s patented battery self-swapping system, capable of battery changeout in a few minutes.

“Aligned with our expansion strategy for battery-electric vehicles, I’m delighted to sign this agreement with Hindustan Zinc to deliver the first battery equipment fleet in India,” Henrik Ager,  President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said. “This is a testament to both the pioneering ambitions of Hindustan Zinc and the technological maturity of Sandvik BEV products.”

The TH550B truck and LH518B loader are based on the Artisan™ technology, which Sandvik acquired in 2019, and enriched with the latest Sandvik mining technology, contributing to overall productivity improvements of up to 20%, the OEM said. The machines will be equipped with state-of-the-art battery telemetry solutions enabling automated, on-premise as well as remote health and performance monitoring.

The Artisan driveline and battery solutions have been field tested with more than 500,000 operating hours.

Sandvik outlines its emission-free mining journey at The Electric Mine 2022

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Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions President, Henrik Ager, got The Electric Mine 2022 Conference in Stockholm, Sweden, off to a bang earlier this month, with a major product reveal that will set a new benchmark in the battery-electric underground mining space.

After reflecting on a journey that saw him escape a broken lift on his way to the Radisson Waterfront that morning, Ager announced the company would soon release the largest-capacity battery-electric truck for underground mining to the market, the TH665B.

With a 65-t-payload capacity, this machine will be measured against the largest underground diesel-powered underground trucks for productivity, speed and cost. Interest is expected from major contractors and miners alike, with one of the bigger markets being the Australian underground hard-rock segment.

The prototype TH665B is currently completing factory testing, but it turned heads in Stockholm, with conference attendees witnessing a video of the machine in action on the company’s test track in California, USA.

Blending proven Sandvik design and advanced technology built around electric drivelines and battery systems, the TH665B will get its first mine site runout at AngloGold Ashanti’s Sunrise Dam gold mine in Western Australia. This trial is expected to prove its viability in a long ramp haulage application before commercial truck production commences in late 2023.

The Sandvik TH665B comes with an electric drivetrain that delivers 640 kW of continuous power, which equates to 858 horsepower

While displaying said video, Ager said the vehicle could haul a 65-t load up a 14.3% grade at 11.5 km/h. This, he said, was 30% faster than Sandvik’s 63-t diesel truck, the Toro TH663i, with which the TH665B shares a state-of-the-art cabin. An electric drivetrain that delivers 640 kW of continuous power, which equates to 858 horsepower, and significant torque, is behind such numbers.

Following the introduction of the Sandvik TH550B 50-tonne battery-electric vehicle at MINExpo INTERNATIONAL® 2021, last September, this latest vehicle launch shows, once again, how the company is betting big on its battery- and hybrid-electric loaders tackling the challenge of operating underground mines today and tomorrow.

Ager at the event outlined the three main drivers for the electrification move, namely: worker health, mine economics and sustainability. Sandvik’s battery-electric solutions, he said, hit all three criteria, providing safer, more productive and sustainable ways of moving the tonnes the industry needs to keep up with global commodity demand.

The primary driver for electrification came from ventilation and refrigeration constraints, followed closely by environmental, health and safety concerns over diesel exhaust emissions. At the same time, Ager said there was significant room for operating costs to fall with the adoption of battery-electric equipment given 40% of total mine operating costs were related to energy and ventilation, and electricity use was often cheaper than transporting and using diesel fuel underground.

Around the same time as MINExpo, Ager outlined that electric mining equipment could account for more than half of the company’s equipment sales in underground mining by 2030. In Stockholm, he added some colour to that statement.

The company’s generation three battery-electric vehicles have clocked up more than 500,000 operational hours with its Artisan™ battery packs and electric drivelines, with 22 active BEV units. This experience makes Sandvik an industry frontrunner, Ager said.

The machines out in the field include the 4-t-payload and 10-t-payload Artisan A4 and A10 LHDs, the Z40/Z50 (40 t/50 t payloads) haul trucks, the Toro™ LH514BE – an AutoMine®-compatible cable-electric loader, boosted with battery technology – plus the 18-t-payload battery-electric Sandvik LH518B LHD and 50-t-payload battery-electric TH550B truck.
This year will see the company officially release the LH514BE, which will be followed in 2023 by the TH665B and – judging from the preliminary nomenclature – a 15 t battery-electric and AutoMine-compatible LHD.

Three other battery-electric and AutoMine-compatible units are in the preliminary stages of development, scheduled for release in 2024-2025.

This comes on top of plans to electrify its full i-Series drilling line by 2030, drill rigs which tram on battery and plug into the grid while drilling/bolting.

Launches for the DD422iE-DC (development drill) and DS422iE (rock bolter) are expected in 2022, with the DL432iE (longhole drill) and the DT923iE (jumbo drill) coming to market between 2023 and 2026.

Since the rollout of the first battery-electric drill in 2016 – the DD422iE – 2.8 million metres had been drilled and 12,500 km had been trammed with these electric machines, Ager acknowledged.

It is not just product releases that are on the Sandvik roadmap, with Ager stating plans to develop different drivelines (battery-electric, hybrids, cable, battery-cable), quantify the value and beat the economics of conventional drivelines, expand into other applications such as narrow vein and narrow reef mines, and continue to develop 100% electrified, energy efficient mechanical cutting for soft- and hard-rock applications.

He also said the company would look to address the capital expenditure gap with diesel machines, aiming for cost parity from a total cost of operations perspective.

The company, at the same time, is planning to further its global capabilities to serve the electrified fleet throughout its entire life cycle, while building out battery optimisation expertise and developing global application knowledge to support customers in designing, planning and executing electric transition strategies.

Real equipment for the real world

This might look like a long ‘to-do’ list, but Ager’s colleague, Brian Huff, VP of Technology and Product Line for the BHEV business unit with Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, was able to outline several real-world wins from machine deployments later at the conference that showed how far the company has already come in addressing industry pain points.

Huff, a co-founder of Artisan Vehicle Systems, relayed some observations from field trials of the company’s LH518B and Z50 battery-electric vehicles, summing them up in series of snappy statements such as: “everything will be serviced, whether it was intended to be or not”; “battery cells are consumable, but the driveline is not”; “damage is expected, resilience and serviceability are required”; “isolation fault monitoring is more than shock hazard prevention”; “availability improves with each ‘opportunity’”; and – one of the more important ones – “operators prefer BEVs”.

“They take a beating and keep on working and, despite what people may think, these batteries are not fragile,” Brian Huff told delegates at The Electric Mine 2022 Conference earlier this month

Delving into specifics, Huff said real-world trials had proven the opinion that electric drivelines came with dramatically longer life and less maintenance. He also acknowledged batteries had become the new ‘consumable’ in this equation.

“Maintenance requires parts, but comes with very low labour,” he said, explaining that battery modules can be replaced underground and then rebuilt at the factory with new cells, making rebuilds both quick and painless. At the same time, refreshing the battery brought opportunities to use improved cells as they are developed – a reflection on the accelerated winds of change in the battery market.

Battling early market perceptions, Huff said these machines were far from “experimental”, having been used and proven to work at many hard-rock mines. “They take a beating and keep on working and, despite what people may think, these batteries are not fragile,” he said.

One of the new solutions to have come out from these real-world trials is the introduction of a new battery cage design that aids serviceability, Huff said. Coming with removable side covers, an improved locking system and structural design, this battery cage incorporates the company’s AutoConnect function, which, when combined with AutoSwap, facilitates quick battery swapping without the operator having to leave the cabin. The new cage would be available on the TH665B as well as other models, Huff said.

He then put some names and numbers behind earlier statements, highlighting a trial of a Z50 truck at Pretivm’s Brucejack gold mine in British Columbia, Canada, that saw more than 90% machine availability, exhibited speeds of 9.5 km/h on a 15% grade with a 42-t load, and observed battery swap times of less than 10 minutes. This added up to a 42% increase in tonnes hauled compared with a diesel-equivalent machine and a 22% boost in speed.

The trial at New Gold’s New Afton gold mine, also in British Columbia, saw a 56% mucking cycle time beat over a diesel-powered-equivalent, a plus-70% ramp speed improvement (on a 17% ramp), and decreases of 80% and 90% in energy use and heat generated, respectively.

Referring to another LH518B trial where the machine only clocked in a 74.9% availability, Huff was quick to highlight that all the problems/failures that caused the reduction in availability were correctible.

And, channelling his engineering DNA and the leading role Sandvik is willing to take in the industry’s pursuit of the zero emission, electrified mine, he reflected on all these real-world trials with: “a failure isn’t a failure, it is an opportunity to improve.”