Tag Archives: electric

Ivanhoe Electric planning for all-electric underground fleet and Railveyor tech at Santa Cruz copper project

Base metals, Environmental, Mineral project development, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

Ivanhoe Electric has published the results of an Initial Assessment (IA) carried out on its Santa Cruz copper project, in Arizona, USA, highlighting the potential to build a 5.9 Mt/y underground mining operation that uses an all-electric underground heavy mining fleet, in combination with Railveyor technology for material movement.

The use of an all-electric underground heavy equipment fleet alone represents an estimated 70-80% reduction in Scope 1 emissions when compared to a traditional high-efficiency diesel-powered heavy equipment fleet, Ivanhoe says, adding thatthe use of Railveyor technology would further the efficiencies associated with moving mined mineralisation from underground to surface.

The IA base case assumes 70% of the total electric power requirements for the project will be generated by on-site renewable infrastructure, enabling copper production with very low carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions of 0.49 t of CO2e per tonne of copper for Scope 1 and 2 emissions. This compares favourably with a global mining industry average of approximately 3.9 t of CO2e per tonne of copper equivalent, Ivanhoe says. The subsequent prefeasibility study for the project will evaluate the potential use of combined solar power, battery storage and a geothermal-driven microgrid as renewable power sources to provide up to 100% of the electricity requirements for the project.

The Santa Cruz IA outlines a potential 5.9 Mt/y underground mining operation, supported by 105.2 Mt of modelled mill feed with an average grade of 1.58% Cu from the Santa Cruz and East Ridge Deposits, resulting in an estimated 20-year mine life.

The IA focuses exclusively on the high-grade exotic, oxide and enriched domains of the Santa Cruz and East Ridge Deposits, with the oxide and enriched domains of the Texaco deposit not included in the current study (2.7 Mt indicated grading 1.42% total copper and 27.3 Mt inferred grading 1.39% total copper, using a 0.80% cut-off grade).

Future studies could evaluate the potential addition of the large primary sulphide domains at Santa Cruz (76.2 Mt indicated grading 0.88% total copper and 8 Mt inferred grading 0.92% total copper, using a 0.70% cut-off grade) and at the Texaco Deposit (900,000 t indicated grading 1.05% total copper and 35 Mt inferred grading 1.06% total copper, using a 0.80% cut-off grade), subject to market conditions.

Copper recoveries of 95.4% are expected to be achieved through a combination of solvent extraction and electrowinning and conventional froth flotation. The IA includes life of mine production for the project of 1 Mt of copper in the form of 99.99% pure copper cathode and 600,000 t of copper contained in a 48% copper concentrate with very low deleterious elements, such as arsenic or lead.

The IA contemplates initial project capital expenditures of $1.15 billion, and life of mine sustaining capital expenditures totaling $0.98 billion. A three-year construction period is envisioned to develop the underground workings and build the surface processing facilities.

As a result of the small surface footprint required for underground copper mining activities included in the IA, the total land area expected to be required for the mine, plant, tailings storage facilities and potential on-site generation of renewable solar power covers approximately one-third of the total land package.

The IA also contemplates placing 50% of the mine tailings back underground as cemented paste fill. The remaining 50% will be stored on the surface as thickened tailings at 65% solid content. Surface tailings will be contained within a ring dyke dam with a capacity to store 56.7 Mt. Water management associated with tailings storage is minimised as a result of thickened tailings and high evaporation rates in the Sonoran Desert, the company says.

Executive Chairman, Robert Friedland, said: “Completing the Initial Assessment for our Santa Cruz copper project is an important achievement for Ivanhoe Electric as we work to advance a new source of responsibly produced ‘green’ copper in the United States. Our goal is to develop a modern copper mine that produces copper with among the lowest levels of carbon dioxide output in the industry; a product we think has the potential to attract a premium price in the future.

“Using primarily on-site renewable electricity generation, and with the potential to increase that to meet the project’s entire future needs, the IA shows us that we are on the right track to achieving our goal at Santa Cruz and our larger goal of enhancing US supply chain independence for critical metals. We are excited about the future for our Santa Cruz project in Arizona.”

In the IA, twin declines, each measuring 4.3 km, would be developed to access the upper parts of the Santa Cruz and East Ridge deposits. One decline is required for air intake and access, while the other will be required for air exhaust and material movement. To develop the declines, the IA assumes that construction of the portal box cut would begin in 2026, decline development in 2027 and continues through 2028 to access the top portion of the mine. Under these assumptions, stoping activities would begin in 2029 with a one-year ramp up to the full 15,000 t/d capacity.

Mining of the upper portion would proceed for the first eight years before additional capital expenditures are required to extend the declines by 1.9 km. Additional surface infrastructure would be required once mining of the lower portion commences. This would include the second phase construction of a refrigeration plant, ventilation, water handling and material handling.

Mine sequencing would employ typical transverse longhole stopes for the Santa Cruz deposit on a primary-secondary sequence with paste backfill for support. Mining of the Santa Cruz exotic mineralisation has been evaluated using a drift and fill technique with access from the Santa Cruz longhole stoping levels. The East Ridge deposit will apply a drift and fill mining technique with access directly from the twin declines.

Over the total life of mine, 105.2 Mt of mineralised material is expected to be mined. This includes 88.6 Mt from the Santa Cruz deposit, 1.9 Mt from the Santa Cruz exotic mineralisation, 9.8 Mt from the East Ridge deposit and 4.9 Mt of low-grade material required to access the deposits.

Chile’s SQM increases electric vehicle fleet to 34

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mine operation news, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , ,

The largest electric fleet of transport vehicles in the Chilean mining industry has been unveiled in Antofagasta by SQM in partnership with transport companies Viggo GrandLeasing, Transportes CVU and Andes Motor, as part of their sustainability plans to reduce their CO2 emissions, SQM says.

Consisting of 34 fully-electric vehicles, the fleet includes passenger buses, minibuses, vans, mobile solar checkpoints, and what it says is Chile’s first high-tonnage electric truck, making it the most diverse electric fleet in use across an entire mining operation in the country.

With the launch of the new fleet, SQM says it is on track to achieve carbon neutrality in all its products by 2040. This follows on from the company’s announcement at the end of 2021 that it was joining the UN’s Race to Zero program. SQM had already introduced Chile’s first high-tonnage electric truck, a 28 t Yutong ZKH5310ZLJP6BEV, to be used in large-scale mining onto an 86-km route from the company’s Coya Sur plant in María Elena to the port of Tocopilla, saving approximately 3,840 t/y of CO2.

The vehicles were presented on the esplanade of the Huanchaca Ruins in Antofagasta, at an event that was attended by various regional and community leaders, as well as executives and representatives from SQM and its partners. The introduction of the electric vehicles in northern Chile is especially significant as it supports efforts at a national level to decentralise electric mobility in Chile, SQM said.

José Miguel Berguño, Vice President of Corporate Services at SQM, said: “As a company we are proud to launch this fleet, contributing to the development of national electromobility and promoting the use of electric vehicles in the north of Chile, covering the regions of Antofagasta and Tarapacá, focusing on operational areas of our sites and on the transfer of all workers of SQM who live throughout the national territory.”

Hyundai CE bolsters Ulsan plant to support electric-, hydrogen-powered equipment plan

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

Hyundai Construction Equipment (HCE) says it is investing €150 million ($170m) in its Ulsan production plant in South Korea, increasing capacity by 50%, in a process that will support Hyundai’s growing presence in the global construction equipment market, while providing a manufacturing base for a new generation of electric- and hydrogen-powered equipment.

The investment, to be delivered over the next four years, will increase production at the plant by 4,800 units a year, bringing annual capacity to 15,000 excavators, wheel loaders and other construction models.

The company will merge the production and assembly functions currently in Factory 1 and Factory 2, into a single facility, simplifying the flow of processes and increasing savings by maximising efficiency. This will reduce the working hours involved in machine production and cut logistics costs throughout the supply chain, the company says. The move will also reflect HCE’s environmental, social and governance factors, using eco-friendly sub-materials when conducting interior and exterior finish work.

HCE said: “The company is increasing its market share in every region of the business, by responding to current market trends in the global construction equipment market and by looking ahead to the customer requirements of tomorrow’s infrastructure and construction projects. The company is also planning to benefit from the recent US launch of the ‘Build Back Better World (B3W)’ initiative for developing countries.”

HCE announced in 2020 that it planned to bring to market a range of excavators powered by hydrogen fuel cells, produced in cooperation with Hyundai Motors, which has its largest automotive plant in Ulsan. The company has already unveiled a range of hydrogen-powered industrial forklifts that are due to launch in 2023, as it continues to develop the low and zero-carbon emissions equipment that will be demanded by the customer of the future.

HCE CEO, Mr Choi Cheol-gon, said: “Strengthening the competitiveness of the Ulsan factory is the first challenge that needs to be addressed to reach the global top five, the goal of the construction equipment division of the Hyundai Heavy Industries group. With this investment, we will further raise our brand competitiveness by producing and delivering construction equipment with increased efficiency.”

In November 2020, HCE completed the construction of a technology innovation centre, investing €57.4 million. The new centre includes 16 laboratories, employing more than 100 researchers. It is involved in research and development projects focused on eco-friendly technologies, high efficiency and noise reduction technologies and a virtual verification system. The site also performs quality research and verification of components and completed equipment.

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

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

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.

Aramine launches diesel-electric drill for narrow vein mining

Automation, Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , ,

Aramine has looked to complete its equipment range for narrow vein mines with the introduction of its diesel-electric hybrid miniDriller DM901 HDE drill rig.

The compact machine uses the diesel engine for tramming and electric motor for drilling, according to Aramine, while it can be operated tele-remotely, removing the operator from potential hazards.

The DM901 HDE has a low centre of gravity for optimal stability. Despite its narrow width, the two front stabilisers offer perfect drilling conditions, according to the company. This allows for both face and vertical drilling, Aramine said.

Aramine says the DM901 HDE only requires a 400 V electric connection and a water supply to operate and is designed with modular elements for easy assembly/disassembly in a mine. It “sneaks wherever our L130 and L150 miniLoaders go”, Aramine said. This means the new machine is ideal for sections between 6 sq.m and 12 sq.m.

With an existing partnership between Aramine and Epiroc, the company can offer an exclusive optional version with an Epiroc Feed and Drifter, Aramine said.

“As most of Aramine machines are, the DM901 HDE complements perfectly the Epiroc range,” Arnaud Paul, Aramine Equipment Sales Director, said.

Aramine says it is preparing its fully-electric battery-powered version for 2020, with innovations at all levels of the machine.