Tag Archives: Electric Vehicles

QME, Xerotech and Motics develop ‘plug and play’ battery-electric vehicle kits

Mining services provider QME says it has partnered with Xerotech and Motics to develop new electric vehicle “plug and play” battery kits for all medium and light underground mining vehicles.

This EV transformation, which also includes the renowned Toyota Landcruiser model, represents a huge advance towards reducing the carbon footprint traditionally associated with mining, QME said.

“The concept behind our offering is to retain as much value as possible from existing resources, products, parts and materials to create a system that allows for long life, optimal reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing and recycling,” it added.

The County Meath-based company has completed hundreds of development and testing hours to perfect this new generation electric-powered Toyota Landcruiser, working in tandem with Xerotech and Motics. QME will now begin the integration of these new technologies into its underground fleet in ongoing development projects in Ireland and Portugal, it says.

The kits will use Xerotech’s patented technology, Xerotherm®, which represents a complete step-change in safety and performance of battery systems, according to QME, with the thermal management and safety technology one of the best technical solutions in the world.

Motics, chosen as a partner due to its ongoing association with global OEMs, “ePowerone” system sets new standards in the development of battery-electric vehicles, QME said. The modular design allows new components to be integrated quickly, thereby allowing innovations to be incorporated without having to adapt the interfaces on the vehicle. All vehicles using the platform benefit from a supply chain with second-source strategies, fast system integration and reliability thanks to broad-based experience, it added.

QME says it is the only Irish company who can offer this new electrified version of the Toyota HJ79 Landcruiser, which has successfully completed trials, with the first of the new generation EV machines already available to order.

METS Ignited funding to speed up Safescape Bortana EV production goals

The latest round of METS Ignited project funding has seen Safescape become one of six METS companies to receive a grant designed to accelerate commercialisation of its technology.

The funding will support the continued development of the Bortana electric light vehicle, helping Safescape move from BETA test phase to full production in late 2022, according to Steve Durkin, Founder and Managing Director of Safescape.

ZERO Automotive, MyPass Global, AMOG, Universal Field Robots and 3ME Technology were the other recipients of the A$2.5 million ($1.9 million) of matched funding.

In six years of operation, METS Ignited has invested more than A$13 million in 26 projects, with over 60 industry participants, according to Safescape.

“METS Ignited have been a strong supporter of decarbonisation in the mining industry and a great supporter of the Bortana EV,” Durkin said. “From the beginning, they have offered support through advice, networking, exposure, and direct financial contributions.”

The latest round of project funding is focused on scaling commercialisation, with the six companies selected having delivered successful industry pilots and having a dedicated focus on innovation.

Safescape is currently preparing a fleet of 10 BETA phase test Bortana EVs, which will be delivered to mine sites across the country. Serial production will commence in 2023.

The Bortana EV is a battery-electric vehicle designed to handle the aggressive operating environment of underground mines. Designed and developed in Australia, the Bortana EV uses the chassis of a diesel-powered Agrale Marruá, electric technology from 3ME and Safescape’s design and engineering expertise. It is designed to tackle safety and health concerns by reducing emissions, heat, and maintenance.

Safescape is establishing facilities to support 10 vehicles per month initially with plans for maximum production capacity above 100 vehicles per month to support both Australian and export markets.

Green is good: playing to win in a multi-trillion-dollar green-tech game

The COP26 Glasgow Climate Summit has made it clear the Australian Government will largely rely on private and listed companies adopting new green technologies to hit net-zero by 2050, according to the organisers of IMARC.

Nowhere will this be more apparent than in Australia’s booming resources sector, and in perhaps no other sector is there so much investment upside, they say. COP26 leaders flagged eye-watering multi-trillion-dollar investment figures that will become available in the race to net zero, in addition to the more than one third of worldwide institutional investment that now requires an ESG component.

Mid-to-large cap companies that are not on-board, or above-board, with the ‘greening’ of their operations through technology will not only damage their reputations but miss out on an entire new generation of value-creation opportunities, according to the organisers.

Green technology comes in all shapes and sizes, as do the multiple challenges posed by phasing out fossil fuels. Advancing Australia to net zero will require a mix of technological advances, infrastructure upgrades and strong governance.

For the companies participating in Australia’s biggest mining conference, the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in 2022, early adoption of green technology is essential to creating value.

Net zero: the next big thing?

With about 200 nations signing on, the consensus of the Glasgow pact was clear – there is much for companies to gain by acting now, and everything to lose by sitting on their hands.

A ‘wall of new private sector money’ will be available to those companies that embrace green technology and clean up their operations, according to IMARC organisers.

This multi-trillion-dollar wall of new money does not include the soaring price of battery metals, and Australia’s position as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the green tech uptake.

According to the Resources and Energy Quarterly September 2021, Australia is the world’s largest exporter of lithium, the second largest producer of copper and produces more than one-quarter of the world’s nickel.

Schneider Electric President of Mining Minerals and Metals, Rob Moffit, said solar and wind generation were being rapidly adopted, but battery storage technology needs to improve so that uptake can continue to grow.

“As you generate more power, you need to find better and more efficient ways to store that power,” he said. “In line with that, there is going to be further investments into battery technologies, particularly the composition of batteries.

“Demand for artificial intelligence (AI) is also set to rise. As we combine multiple energy sources, it starts to become a complex system that needs to be managed. AI and machine learning are the best technologies to do this.”

Kirkland Lake Gold’s Senior Vice President, John Landmark, echoed the sentiments of Moffit and insisted that truly renewable, reliable infrastructure was vital to the transition.

“Power utility companies are the biggest hurdle to greening our industry,” he said. “Resource companies can only do so much in reducing their footprint, but clean and affordable energy is the biggest hurdle which lies outside of the hands of the resources company that needs to be cleaner.

“Having a ‘token’ windmill or solar panel looks great in a photo-op but doesn’t address the sustainable operation and use of such renewable energy.”

‘Greenwashing’: the elephant in the room

There is perhaps no greater threat to the ESG bona fides of a mining and resources company than ‘greenwashing’.

Greenwashing is the practice of misleading the media or the general public, or of taking advantage of a lack of awareness of what constitutes a legitimately ‘green’ or ‘clean’ technology, fuel or practice, the organisers said.

And it is firmly under the scrutiny of the public eye.

Most recently, the High Court of Australia refused to hear Volkswagens’ appeal against its A$125 million ($89 million) ‘Dieselgate’ fine – the largest penalty ever imposed on a company for misleading consumers – for deliberately deceiving regulators and customers about the environmental performance of its cars.

Landmark said greenwashing was a particularly problematic issue because a company that damages its own reputation often leads to other companies within an industry being tarnished with the same brush.

He said there is also a tendency in industry to satisfy public demand and ESG agency requirements, rather than focus on legitimate sustainable practices, “which fosters an environment where resource companies feel like they need to address these tick boxes, leaving companies to dilute their sustainability efforts on non-material issues or embellish on them”.

He added: “By Kirkland Lake Gold sticking to facts only and not elaborating extensively on our sustainability achievements, we aim to ensure our credibility is linked to true data.”

Moffit emphasised this notion, saying it was vital for companies to avoid the greenwashing trap.

“[It] can be achieved by having the right processes in place — specifically using scientifically-based, externally-audited, transparent and consistent protocols,” he said. “It is vital that all commitments are certified by science and must cover all emissions scope categories, not only the ones directly related to the company’s operations.”

Electricity or hydrogen?

Electric- and hydrogen-powered vehicles are often seen as competing technologies. However, mining operations are complicated beasts and, due to the size, location and technique – open pit or underground – of the operation, certain technologies will be better suited than others, according to the event organisers.

Landmark said having many viable options available was the best way to ensure greater uptake of new vehicle technologies and therefore a greener economy, but pointed out that it is, “crucial that both electric and hydrogen vehicles are powered by a green grid”.

Moffit said the most significant benefit of hydrogen technology in heavy industry and transportation is hydrogen’s superior energy density.

“Electric and hydrogen are complementary vehicle technologies,” he said. “Electrification is perfectly suited towards passenger vehicles, but it currently isn’t the ideal option for heavy-duty vehicles such as haul trucks due to the energy density of a battery, which is just 1%. This means that for a 40-t truck, just over four tonnes of lithium-ion battery cells are needed for a range of 800 km. This is not viable.”

Landmark and Moffit will be sharing further insights on green technology at the upcoming IMARC in Melbourne, Australia, on January 31-February 2, 2022.

RPMGlobal extends haulage vehicle simulation to green hydrogen, hybrid-diesel power

RPMGlobal says it has further advanced its simulation platform to support hybrid vehicles that are powered by green hydrogen or hybrid diesel.

The hybrid vehicle functionality, developed in partnership with Tier-One miners and OEMs within the mining industry, enables users to simulate and test multiple scenarios including vehicles that use hydrogen or hybrid diesel. This is particularly useful for organisations looking to decarbonise their mining operations and are looking for a way to quantify potential options, the company said.

RPM’s simulation solutions use a Discrete Event Simulation engine that has been specifically designed for the mining industry. Organisations typically build a base case simulation they use as a yardstick to measure any changes to the haulage network, road rules, mine layout or vehicles.

Richard Mathews, Chief Executive Officer of RPMGlobal, said the demand for HAULSIM and SIMULATE has been strong. “RPM is experiencing a significant increase in organisations needing to measure and quantify the financial and emission benefits of utilising electric, hydrogen or hybrid diesel alternatives to their traditional diesel fleet.

“The global decarbonisation effort has certainly created demand for RPM’s unique simulation solutions that can assist with answering questions that you simply can’t answer in a spreadsheet.

“RPM’s Commercial Off-The-Shelf simulation solutions are already used worldwide by miners, contractors and OEMs. With mining companies across the world pledging to quantifiably improve their decarbonisation efforts towards net-zero targets, software solutions that can measure and quantify the potential benefits of using lower emission options that are available in the market are super important.”

This latest software release also includes several other developments such as interaction rules for autonomous vehicles, upgrades to electric vehicle infrastructure simulations, additional microservices to evaluate alternative options remotely (server or cloud) and more detailed reporting for electric vehicles.

With this release, RPM is offering usage of the software and training free of charge to anyone taking part in the Charge On Innovation Challenge to support participants in delivering innovative decarbonisation solutions, it said. This challenge came about as a result of BHP, Rio Tinto, Vale and Austmine recognising that the mining industry needs to be at the forefront of tackling climate change. The Charge On Innovation Challenge is aimed at encouraging innovative technology development that will support the mining industry’s decarbonisation efforts.

BHP Ventures backs BluVein’s next gen trolley-charging project

BHP has become the latest company to back BluVein’s “next generation trolley-charging technology” project, with its Ventures arm joining Northern Star Resources, Newcrest Mining, Vale, Glencore, Agnico Eagle, AngloGold Ashanti and OZ Minerals as project partners.

A BHP spokesperson said the collaboration was “part of our multi-faceted approach to reducing vehicle emissions at our operations”.

It is one of several decarbonisation collaborations BHP Ventures is involved with in pursuit of BHP’s decarbonisation goals. Others include partnering on supply chain traceability through Circulor and low emissions steelmaking through Boston Metals.

Back in August, BluVein announced that seven major mining companies had financially backed BluVein, with the industry collaboration project now moving forward with final system development and construction of a technology demonstration pilot site in Brisbane, Australia. This came on top of agreements with four major mining vehicle manufacturers to support BluVein controls and hardware integration into their vehicles.

BluVein, a joint venture between EVIAS and Australia-based Olitek, is developing technology that removes the need to employ battery swapping or acquire larger, heavier batteries customised to cope with the current requirements placed on the heaviest diesel-powered machinery operating in the mining sector.

It is doing this through adapting charging technology originally developed by Sweden-based EVIAS for electrified public highways. The application of this technology in mining could see operations employ smaller, lighter battery-electric vehicles that are connected to the mine site grid via its ingress protection-rated slotted Rail™ system. This system effectively eliminates all exposed high voltage conductors, providing significantly improved safety and ensures compliance with mine electrical regulations, according to BluVein. This is complemented with its Hammer™ technology and a sophisticated power distribution unit to effectively power electric motors and charge a vehicle’s on-board batteries.

BluVein has been specifically designed for harsh mining environments and is completely agnostic to vehicle manufacturer, according to the company. This standardisation is crucial, BluVein says, as it allows a mixed fleet of mining vehicles to use the same rail infrastructure.

BluVein says it plans on starting the trial install early works towards the end of this year for a mid- to late-2022 trial period in a simulated underground environment.

The BluVein project is being managed by the Canada Mining Innovation Council (CMIC).

Hochschild Mining plans electric equipment fleet expansion

Hochschild Mining, in its 2020 sustainability report, has flagged the arrival of further electric vehicles at its mine sites in Latin America as it looks to cut emissions and reduce ventilation requirements at its underground operations.

The company said it has been operating six electric mine vehicles, purchased between 2017 and 2018, at its San Jose narrow-vein silver mine in Argentina for some time. This includes an Aramine L130E miniLoader® (pictured), a 1-2 t capacity electric LHD suitable for narrow-vein mining applications with a 0.5-0.75 cu.m bucket and an operating width of 1,046 mm. The miniLoader L130E is fitted with a cable reel designed for tramming off the mine power grid. The company also has an Aramine L150E tethered-electric LHD in its fleet.

In 2020, Hochschild added a battery-electric vehicle to the mix at its Inmaculada gold-silver narrow-vein operation in Peru.

It said: “In 2020, we piloted the use of the first electric vehicle at Inmaculada for liquid waste management. Working in partnership with our on-site waste management contractor, the project is the first of its kind in Latin America and, if successful, will be scaled up throughout 2021.”

Hochschild told IM that its waste management contractor, Resiter, was operating an Alke ATX 330EH battery-electric off-road light utility vehicle with a flatbed for liquid waste. This vehicle is fitted with a tank and suction motor to be used to clean portable toilets throughout the mine site.

“It is also worth noting that the trials carried out indicate some modifications are needed for it to be able to be used in the irregular surfaces at Inmaculada, and it is still under investigation by the supplier,” the company said.

Hochschild added in the report: “In 2021, we hope to expand our electric fleet with the purchase of electric vehicles for use in larger underground chambers that will not only reduce our carbon footprint but will also cut ventilation costs.”

Ontario launches strategy to encourage development of critical minerals

The Ontario Government says it is developing its first-ever Critical Minerals Strategy to help generate investment, increase the province’s competitiveness in the global market, and create jobs and opportunities in the mining sector.

It will also support Ontario’s transition to a low-carbon economy both at home and abroad, the government said.

“By developing this strategy, we will strengthen Ontario’s position as one of North America’s premier jurisdictions for responsibly-sourced critical minerals, including rare earth elements,” Greg Rickford (pictured), Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines and Minister of Indigenous Affairs, said. “We are confident this will generate investment, reduce red tape, create jobs and advance Indigenous participation in the sector. Local and global markets, including Ontario-based industries, are looking for reliable, responsibly-sourced critical minerals and we are ready to capitalise on this growing market demand.”

Ontario is well positioned to become a global supplier, producer and manufacturer of choice for certain critical minerals, including, but not limited to nickel, copper, cobalt and platinum group elements, the government said.

“Industries across Ontario and around the world need a steady supply of critical minerals to support new technologies and emerging industries, including electric vehicles,” Minister Rickford said. “With the development of a Critical Minerals Strategy, the province can showcase Ontario’s competitive advantage, high mineral development potential and world-class mining sector.”

New technologies and high-growth sectors that rely on critical minerals include information and communications technology, electronics, energy, aerospace and defence, health and life sciences and transportation.

Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, said: “With an abundance of the critical minerals in Northern Ontario, along with a competitive business climate, innovation and talent, Ontario is well positioned to become a leader in the future of electric vehicle and battery manufacturing.

“In fact, recent proposed investments of almost C$6 billion ($4.7 billion) over the last several months in Ontario’s auto sector will make our province a global hub for EV manufacturing, making us stronger and more resilient as we continue to work towards economic recovery.”

To inform the Critical Minerals Strategy, the province is releasing a discussion paper for public consultation on the Environmental Registry of Ontario. A consultation with industry and Indigenous communities will also help guide the development of the strategy to be released this fall.

Polymetal 2020 profits rise as it accelerates ESG efforts

Polymetal recorded a strong set of financials in 2020, with its revenue, adjusted EBITDA and net earnings metrics all benefitting from higher production volumes and commodity prices.

Revenue increased by 28% year-on-year to $2.87 billion, adjusted EBITDA rose 57% to $1.69 billion and net earnings hit a record $1.09 billion in 2020.

The company’s 2020 gold-equivalent output amounted to 1.56 Moz, a 4% increase year-on-year and 4% above the original production guidance of 1.5 Moz. Strong contributions from its Kyzyl, Varvara and Albazino mines offset a planned grade decline at Voro, as well as lower production at Svetloye, the company said.

While production rose, the company’s greenhouse gas emissions intensity reduced by 4%, Polymetal said. It attributed this to energy efficiency initiatives, switching its mining fleet to electric vehicles, a shift from diesel to grid energy sources and green energy contracts.

Back in December, SMT Scharf AG signed an agreement with Polymetal to develop and produce battery-electric powered LHDs and mid-range underground trucks as prototypes for its gold and silver mines, with these units to be delivered to the company by October 2021.

Polymetal’s environmental, social and governance efforts did not stop there.

In 2020, the company invested $29 million at its Omolon hub in the Magadan region of Russia. This capital expenditure was mainly related to the construction of a dry tailings storage facility and engineering and preparatory works for a 2.5 MW solar plant (due to come online this year). This will be joined by another 5-10 MW solar facility at its Kyzyl operation (Kazakhstan) in 2022.

On its other tailings facilities, Polymetal said: “We operate eight tailings dams in Russia and Kazakhstan; each is rigorously monitored daily. We are confident that any emergency dam failure would have no impact on local communities and employees.

“We welcome the new Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management and have committed to achieving compliance in all operations by 2023.”

In addition to state authority inspections of these facilities, the company conducted an independent third-party audit of its Mayskoye (Chukotka, Russia) tailings site, which was carried out virtually, due to COVID-19 restrictions, by Knight Piésold Ltd. “To further improve tailings safety and minimise the risk of the possibility of dam failure, we are shifting towards dry stack storage methods,” it said.

“Such facilities are already in operation at our Amursk and Voro (pictured filter press) mines, and will be extended to Omolon (2021), Nezhda (2021), POX-2 (2022), Dukat (2024) and Veduga (2025).”

Dafo Li-IonFire tackles electric/hybrid vehicle fire protection

Dafo Vehicle Fire Protection has helped build a fire protection system tailored for operations using electric or hybrid vehicles as part of an EU-funded program.

In partnership with RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Dafo explored different techniques to detect potential battery failure, as early as possible, and take immediate action to stop, or delay, a potentially hazardous situation.

The partners studied the various fire risks related to batteries, including specific risks when charging, and procedures for handling electric vehicles and batteries after a crash. They also investigated to what extent fixed and integrated fire suppression systems, which are widely used to protect combustion engine compartments on heavy vehicles, can be applied to vehicles powered by lithium-ion batteries, and how they should be designed.

“With the rapid introduction of electric and hybrid electric vehicles in public transport, there are new challenges because they present totally different risk scenarios,” Anders Gulliksson of Dafo Vehicle (pictured), Coordinator of the EU-funded Li-IonFire (Automated e-vehicle Lithium Ion Battery Early Warning and Fire Suppression System) project, said.

Through extensive testing, the Li-IonFire team better understood how a breakdown occurs within the battery and how it can be detected.

“If a system is activated at this early stage, the battery can be ‘brought back’ to a safe state, without the fire developing further,” Gulliksson explained.

“The tests have also shown that even with a late deployment of the fire suppression system, there’s a possibility of delaying the battery reaching a critical state, meaning that the chance of safe evacuation is very high.”

With proper detection and system activation, the hazardous scenario can be reversed and potentially even stopped entirely, according to Dafo.

The project team has, it says, successfully validated and demonstrated a highly innovative fire protection system for electric and hybrid electric vehicles. The new system provides an early fire warning system, and spot cooling to prevent thermal runaway while localising and suppressing fire.

The system was officially unveiled in 2019 and has generated tremendous interest from both end users and vehicle manufacturers, according to Dafo.

“Li-IonFire delivers to the market a product that didn’t exist until now; a system that can offer real protection against battery fires, using a new suppression agent, Forrex EV™, which is specifically developed for these applications,” concluded Gulliksson.

“Li-IonFire will significantly boost the safety of operators and the protection of valuable assets.”

It will be available from September 1, 2020, the company says.

Centamin sets up Sukari for a solar power-fuelled future

Among new projects featured in Centamin’s just-released 2019 sustainability report is the development of a solar power installation that could pump 30 MW AC of renewable energy into the mix at its Sukari gold operation in Egypt.

The Stage 1 30 MW solar plant is expected to replace 18–20 million litres of diesel consumption per year through operation during daylight hours, according to Ross Jerrard, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director.

The bulk of Centamin’s greenhouse gas emissions result from the on-site power generation at Sukari, the company said in the report, with the site powered entirely by heavy fuel oil burning generators consuming over 90–100 million litres of diesel to meet the mine’s electricity needs. MAK and Wartsilla diesel-fired generators, with a combined power of 68 MW, are on site, according to the company.

In 2019, Centamin completed a preliminary study assessing the technical viability of integrating a solar plant at the Sukari mine. The results of the study demonstrated the potential of the project to materially reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and thereby reducing the company’s environmental footprint and operating expenditure, it said.

The study indicated a minimum of 36 MW DC/30 MW AC peak power hybrid solar plant would be the optimal capacity for an initial staged integration to the processing plant. A limited amount of battery storage (7.5 MW) is required to manage start up and shut down surges for integration into the existing site distribution and control systems, with the solar farm scoped over an 85 ha site on the Sukari tenement.

The project will be developed in two phases:

  • Phase one will require the upgrade of Sukari’s high voltage distribution system to prepare the system for connection of large scale solar; and
  • Phase two will be the construction, installation and connection of the solar photo voltaic plant to the Sukari electrical distribution system.

Centamin estimates up to 25% of Sukari’s power needs could be met through solar generation, with the initial 30 MW plant planned to be engineered with the ability to expand the power capacity in the future, if appropriate.

The construction spend for 30 MW is expected to be $37 million, with initial capital of $6 million committed at the end of 2019 to upgrade the high voltage reticulation on site and commence earth-clearing works in the first half of 2020.

Construction was scheduled to commence in 2020, however, as a precautionary move to protect the health and wellbeing of the workforce, non-essential 2020 capital expenditure was temporarily deferred, including the Sukari solar plant.

“This is in order to minimise contractors and other non-operating traffic on and off site, while restrictions related to COVID-19 remain in place,” the company said. Despite this, the company still plans to integrate solar power into the Centamin mine in 2021.

Centamin said it continued to work towards reducing emissions intensity and is in the process of establishing science-induced absolute emissions targets for medium- (2025) and long-term (2030) target years.

Other carbon reduction strategies being considered by the miner include transitioning on-site vehicles to electric vehicles and alternative truck buckets to improve hauling efficiency, it said.