Tag Archives: hybrid vehicles

HydraGEN, Railveyor, BluVein, BEVs, hybrid vehicles being assessed by Evolution

Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

Evolution Mining is considering the application of a number of technologies to displace diesel in its mining fleet, with its latest sustainability report highlighting several short to medium-term and longer-term solutions currently being assessed and considered by the gold-focused miner.

Evolution has set a target of reducing its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 30% by 2030, with plans to reach net zero emissions in these two categories by 2050.

Over the course of its 2023 financial year, Evolution says it achieved an 11.2% reduction in absolute emissions compared with its FY 2020 baseline; maintained a robust direct (Scope 1) and indirect (Scope 2) accounting program, including resetting its emissions baseline; conducted a CO2 abatement cost review focusing on marginal abatement cost curves; externally validated modelling of emissions data including all input modelling; and developed and integrated internal emissions modelling tools to assess the impact of acquisitions and projects on its net zero performance and FY 2020 baseline.

It also completed an energy audit and decarbonisation roadmap for Mungari, conducted an independent audit of Scope 3 emissions, and developed and implemented its Renewable Sourcing Strategy, resulting in the Cowal (mine pictured above) power purchase agreement with AGL Energy Limited.

Evolution says the application of technologies to displace diesel in its mine fleet represents a complex decarbonisation challenge, hence the reason it is evaluating several options. It has been collaborating with partners as well as its supply and value chain partners to identify emissions reduction opportunities, including membership with the Electric Mine Consortium and Sustainability Advantage, the latter being a New South Wales Government scheme looking to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices in the state.

Among the solutions Evolution is considering – ones it categorises as “technologically mature – are the HydraGEN carbon emissions reduction device, the all-electric Railveyor material haulage method, BluVein’s dynamic charging technology, and hybrid vehicles.

Evolution is already part of the consortium of funding members to fast-track the BluVeinXL project, looking at powering heavy-duty mining fleets with up to 250 t payloads through dynamic fast-charging technologies.

The company said in the report that it was also exploring “technologies that have high potential but have limitations at present due to their practical application within Evolution operating mines and their commercial competitiveness”. One example that comes under this category is battery-electric vehicles, which Evolution has experience of thanks to its use of both battery-electric loaders and utility vehicles at its Red Lake operations in Canada.

An asset that could potentially feature some of these technologies under consideration is the Mungari mine, in Western Australia, which is undergoing an expansion to boost output to 4.2 Mt/y, from 2 Mt/y.

In the latest report, Evolution said: “The Mungari mine expansion will result in a near-term increase in emissions due to an interim reliance upon diesel to power remote assets. However, Evolution is exploring potential opportunities to avoid diesel use and mitigate associated emissions through considerations such as hydrogen power and electrified Railveyor.”

Bis looking at hybrid, electric and automated Rexx haul truck variants, Peate says

Automation, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Power supply for mines, , , , , , ,

Bis is already offering clients a “step change in flexibility and efficiency” with its Rexx haul truck, but Chief Development Officer, Todd Peate, says the company has plans to offer hybrid, electric and automated versions of the 160 t payload vehicle as it looks to offer customers a further boost in productivity and their environmental footprint.

Speaking in a blog post on Bis’ website, Peate said the launch of Rexx, a solution that can come out of pit and travel up to 30 km while reducing fuel consumption up to 40%, is a fantastic example of a lower cost approach to running mining fleets.

Rexx was launched in 2018, with Peate saying six customers have been running detailed trials of this solution during 2019 and 2020 as part of fleet replenishment and cost optimisation project assessments.

Among these are trials at Gold Fields’ Granny Smith mine and Glencore’s Murrin Murrin operation, both in Western Australia.

“Rexx speaks directly to improvements in environmental footprint and productivity for our customers,” he said, adding that, in Bis’ short- to medium-term roadmap, variants will be available in both hybrid and electric forms, with the existing solution capable to be retrofitted with automation capability.

“With the success of Rexx and feedback from the market, we have a roadmap for a product family that will see Rexx continue to grow well into the back end of this decade and beyond,” he said.

Meanwhile, in other areas, Bis is developing a “category disruptor” in the underground market in the early part of 2021, Peate said.

He concluded with the news: “From an automation point of view, we’ll be bringing something to the market very soon in the form of an offering that has potential application for not only our equipment, but for all equipment in the industry.

“Stay tuned!”

Dafo Li-IonFire tackles electric/hybrid vehicle fire protection

Environmental, Mining safety, Power supply for mines, , , , , ,

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.