Tag Archives: mine electrification

Artisan Vehicles reflects on its mission to ‘make vehicles that change the world’

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California-based Artisan Vehicles has confirmed a statement from Sandvik that it is to be taken over by the Finland-based company and has now explained why it feels the partnership will set a new course for the mining industry.

“In Artisan’s main conference room, there is a simple, but powerful message displayed prominently in the centre of the main presentation wall. Cut through a half inch thick aluminium plate are the words “Our Mission: To Make Vehicles That Change The World”, Artisan said.

“When we started in 2010, we were focused on commercial trucks. But in that same year, Artisan was approached by an innovative mining company that needed help with a big business problem. That problem was getting to a deeper and very rich orebody using an existing underground mine site. Their plan was to access this orebody without spending the huge sums spent by everyone else (more than $100 million) in customary ventilation infrastructure.

“Our solution was to eliminate diesel fumes with zero emission battery-powered loaders and haul trucks.”

Mike Kasaba, Artisan CEO, reflected: “The business case was so compelling that I quickly realised that this was the way for Artisan to achieve its mission.

“Not only did this mean a cleaner environment for underground workers, but also lower costs and a better return on investment for our customers. It was truly a rare opportunity to transform an industry with a cleaner, more powerful alternative to diesel while also saving money by lowering overall costs.”

Fast forward eight years, Artisan has installed its technology in underground mining vehicles that are now deployed in several countries around the world. Some fleets have been in operation for more than five years, making Artisan the most experienced mining OEM using battery-electric technology, Artisan said.

“Now Artisan is taking a giant leap forward in its mission to change the world.”

Kasaba said: “In picking a partner, our criteria is simple.

“We want a partner that has set the standard of today so that together we can set the standard for tomorrow. I am absolutely certain that we have selected the right partner.”

Brian Huff, Artisan’s Chief Technology Officer, added: “With our technology and Sandvik’s experience and worldwide reach, I know we are going to change the world. Sandvik’s expertise in machine design, coupled with our expertise in electric powertrains and battery technology, will set a new course for the global mining industry.”

Artisan calls itself an original equipment manufacturer of zero-emission, battery-powered mining vehicles.

“Artisan’s underground mining loaders and haul trucks are designed from the ground up to include the best thinking in vehicle engineering and to maximise the performance of its high-powered, highly-reliable, field-proven battery-electric powertrains.”

Safety, electrification, recycling and gold recovery tech to be shown at #Disrupt Mining

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Goldcorp has announced the six semi-finalists that will display their ideas and technologies at the #DisruptMining Innovation Expo in March.

Commercial Pau, Envisioning Labs, ETF Mining, Gekko Systems, Hydrostor Inc and RubberJet Valley have made the shortlist and will showcase their technologies at the event on March 3 at the Rebel Entertainment Complex in Toronto, Canada.

The list will get even shorter when the three finalists are announced next month. This trio will pitch their ideas to a “shark-tank” style panel including Ian Telfer (Goldcorp Chair), Jacob Yeung (University of British Columbia student/#DisruptMining UBC Captain), Katie Valentine (Partner, KPMG Australia, Global Head of Mining Consulting), Sue Paish (CEO of Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster) and Wal van Lierop (President and CEO, Chrysalix Venture Capital) at a live event held at the same venue on the same day in March.

“#DisruptMining offers innovators and entrepreneurs a platform to bring disruptive and exponential technologies to the mining sector,” Goldcorp said. “The panel of industry leaders will award one of the finalists the opportunity to negotiate a C$1 million ($753,655) investment in its technology, company or idea.”

Todd White, Chief Operating Officer of Goldcorp, said: “Look within Goldcorp and across the mining industry generally, you can see it – #DisruptMining is making an impact, spurring innovation, forging new partnerships and accelerating technological change. We’re looking forward to showcasing the semi-finalists and their technologies at #DisruptMining to continue to move innovation in our industry forward.”

Goldcorp, which has helped run this annual innovation challenge since launch in 2017, has invested over C$10 million in a range of new technologies and companies identified through the #DisruptMining innovation accelerator. “This funding has supported companies through the start-up phase into growth and scale-up,” it said.

The gold miner provided some more details on the six semi-finalists:

Commercial Pau

With the use of a patented biometric technology, Commercial Pau’s Digital Remote Lock Out System is designed to enhance safety and security on-site while reducing the amount of time required to effectively complete the lockout process, Goldcorp says.

Envisioning Labs

Envisioning Labs has developed an innovative concept to reuse mine tailings to produce concentrated solar power reflectors. “These reflectors are then used to generate clean energy and sorbents to reduce pollution,” Goldcorp says.

ETF Mining

ETF Mining’s Modular Mining Vehicles are fully electrified, digital and autonomous; offering improved efficiency and reduced environmental impact, according to the gold miner. “Their modularity allows for the adoption and integration of new technologies as they become available,” it added.

ETF Mining will also be on show at IM’s inaugural Electric Mine conference on April 4-5, 2019, where CEO Koen van Peteghem will present a paper titled: Ridding haulage of diesel: why only modular will deliver

Gekko Systems

Gekko Systems supplies innovative modular equipment and processing technologies focused on the recovery of gold. “It is introducing the development of a product, the OnLine Gold Analyser, which will help determine the actual gold content in mineral processing slurries and solutions in real time,” Goldcorp says.

The OnLine Gold Analyser was originally developed by CSIRO, before the research organisation signed an agreement with Gekko to commercialise the technology.

Hydrostor Inc

Hydrostor Inc’s Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage technology transforms unused mining infrastructure into energy storage systems that help mines manage their energy use and reduce their environmental footprint, Goldcorp says. The system can serve both the electricity grid and mining operations alike, reducing operational costs and providing legacy mines with new revenue opportunities.

RubberJet Valley

RubberJet Valley uses a proprietary high-pressure water jet that breaks down large truck and mining off-the-road (OTR) tyres in an environmentally-friendly way. The resulting material is then used to produce new tyres or other rubber-based products for commercial use.

Volvo CE sets date for electrification of compact wheel loaders and excavators

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Volvo Construction Equipment has announced that, by mid-2020, it will start to launch an electric range of compact wheel loaders and compact excavators.

In what the company calls “a pioneering commitment to future technology”, Volvo CE says it will stop new diesel engine-based development of its EC15- EC27 range of compact excavators and L20-L28 range of wheel loaders by this date and move forward with its new electric range.

“With this move, Volvo CE is the first construction equipment manufacturer to commit to an electric future for its compact machine range,” the company says. “This follows an overwhelmingly favourable reaction from the market after the successful unveiling of a number of concept machines in recent years, and by working closely with customers.

“This move is aligned with the Volvo Group’s strategic focus on electromobility in all business areas.”

Volvo CE, last year, carried out a trial of prototype electric machinery during the Electric Site project (pictured) at Skanska’s Vikan Kross quarry near Gothenburg, Sweden. This included the use of much larger prototype electric-hybrid wheel loaders and dual-powered, cable-connected excavators.

The first 10 weeks of the trial saw a 98% reduction in carbon emissions, a 70% reduction in energy cost and a 40% reduction in operator cost.

The first of the company’s new electric machines will be unveiled at the Bauma exhibition in April, followed by a staged market-by-market introduction and ramp up in 2020, the company said.

“While the company stresses that diesel combustion currently remains the most appropriate power source for its larger machines, electric propulsion and battery technology is proving particularly suited to Volvo’s smaller equipment,” Volvo CE said. “With research and development investment now focused on the rapid development of its electric compact wheel loaders and excavators, Volvo CE is taking a step towards diesel-free compact equipment in the future.”

Volvo CE President, Melker Jernberg, said: “Volvo CE is delivering on its commitment of ‘Building Tomorrow’ by driving leadership in electromobility and delivering sustainable solutions that support customer success. The technology we have been developing is now sufficiently robust and this, together with changes in customer behaviour and a heightened regulatory environment, means that now is the right time to commit to electromobility in our compact equipment ranges in the future.”

Kirkland Lake Gold’s Macassa mine on the charge with battery-electric machines

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The use of battery-electric equipment at Kirkland Lake Gold’s Macassa operation in Ontario, Canada, is on the rise, according to the latest investor presentation from the gold mining company.

Macassa now has two of Artisan Vehicles’ battery powered Z40 trucks (pictured) working at the gold mine, in addition to 22 battery-powered LHDs provided by companies including Epiroc and Artisan, the company said this week.

This is part of a mining fleet that also includes six 20 ton (18 t) haul trucks and two production drills.

In addition to this, the gold mining company has been using at least one Artisan A4 LHD at its Taylor operation, also in Ontario.

Macassa, one of the company’s gold-production engines, is expected to have produced 220,000-225,000 oz of gold in 2018, but a future mine expansion could lead to annual output rising to 400,000 oz in 2022.

The company uses a combination of underhand cut and fill (~65%), sub-level long hole stoping (~25%) and overhand cut and fill (~10%) to mine the orebody at Macassa.

You can learn more about the battery-electric fleet being used at the Macassa operation at The Electric Mine event in Toronto, taking place on April 4-5. Andrew Schinkel, Senior Electrical Engineer at the Macassa Mine Complex, will present ‘Powering up Macassa: operating a major battery-electric fleet at a deep underground mine’ at the event. For more information, please click here.

The Electric Mine logo

The Electric Mine conference shifts gear

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With just under four months to go, The Electric Mine conference is charging up to full capacity.

IM has been able to assemble a world-class speaker line-up covering the entire mine electrification process – from R&D and power infrastructure, to battery charging and electrified equipment.

The conference, to take place on April 4-5, 2019, in Toronto, Canada, will host the great and the good in this fast-evolving sector and hear case studies from real mine trials or applications.

This includes a presentation from Kirkland Lake Gold, which is currently running one of the largest in-production underground battery-electric fleets in the industry at its Macassa gold mine in Canada.

Just last month, IM heard that some 33 units were active underground at the deep and high-grade mine in Ontario and Andrew Schinkel, Senior Electrical Engineer of the Macassa Mine Complex, will most likely be able to add to that number, as well as comment on the fleet’s productivity, come conference time.

The soon-to-be-in-production Borden gold project, also in Ontario, will be under the spotlight at the event, with the involved OEMs and mining company collaborating on stage as they have during mine development.

Maarten van Koppen (pictured, left), Senior Project Engineer at Goldcorp Porcupine Mines, Jeff Anderson, Senior Mechanical Designer, MacLean Engineering, and a Sandvik Mining co-speaker (to be confirmed), will present: ‘The Borden Gold Project – lessons learned from the ‘mine of the future’ and the crucial role of partnerships in building an all-electric underground mine’.

The major mining representation does not end there.

Samantha Espley, Director of the Technology & Innovation Centre for Mining and Mineral Processing, Vale Base Metals Operations, will chart the mining company’s roadmap to underground electrification in Sudbury during her talk; expect the OEMs in the room to ask questions about the future fleet for the Creighton deep zone!

Caterpillar’s Product Manager for Underground Technology Solutions, Jay Armburger, is also set to take to the stage at the Radisson Admiral. The focus of his talk will be on heat generation, comparing battery and diesel LHDs underground. A few passing references to the proof of concept R1300G LHD trials it ran not all that long ago at an underground mine in Sudbury, Canada (pictured, right), are likely.

We’ll also hear about developments above ground.

A joint presentation from Karl Trudeau (Nouveau Monde Graphite), Michel Serres (ABB Canada) and David Lyon (MEDATECH) will shed some light on what it will take to create an all-electric open-pit mine able to produce 100,000 t of graphite concentrate at NMG’s Matawinie project in Quebec, Canada.

Those three speakers could be in the front row for Per-Erik Lindström’s talk on The Electric Site project in Sweden.

Lindström, Vice President Global Key Account Management for Volvo Construction Equipment, has seen first hand how battery-electric equipment can move the needle in terms of cost and emissions at the Skanska Vikan Cross quarry, just outside of Gothenburg, and there are more than a few miners interested in the prototype machines (pictured, left) the OEM has manufactured for this purpose.

These presentations will be complemented by a talk from Heather Ednie, Managing Director, Global Mining Guidelines Group, on the second edition of the group’s Battery Electric Vehicle guideline; an opening keynote from Ali G. Madiseh, Canada Research Chair in Advanced Mine Energy Systems, Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering, University of British Columbia, titled: ‘The Electric Mine: a new norm in mine energy systems’; Erik Isokangas, Program Director, Mining3, discussing the value proposition for autonomous electric haulage; and Doug Morrison, President and CEO, Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI), looking at electrification to maximise productive capacity.

Meanwhile, Justin Bain, Chief Executive Officer, Energetique (Energy/Mobility), will fly in from Australia to pronounce the death of diesel Down Under – his firm has recently been involved in the conversion of diesel utility vehicles to battery-electric drive.

Along similar lines, Paul Miller, of Miller Technology, will talk about what goes into developing an innovative fully-electric light utility automobile, designed for continuous underground operation.

IM then has two behemoths in the mine power sector, Siemens and Schneider Electric, looking at the all-important infrastructure that goes into electrification.

Dr Bappa Banerjee, General Manager, Mining Equipment, GE Transportation, will look at the electric future for load and haul in his keynote, Mathieu Bouffard, Project Manager, Adria Manufacture, will cover battery charging and power management of battery-electric vehicles, and Don Duval, CEO of NORCAT, will showcase some of the new technologies that have come out of the organisation’s Underground Centre in Sudbury.

This speaker line-up is only set to improve as we move into the New Year, with IM in advanced discussions with more OEMs and miners looking to present.

The first global event on mine electrification continues to charge ahead…

If you’d like to hear more about The Electric Mine conference – including presenting and sponsorship opportunities – please feel free to get in contact with Editorial Director Paul Moore ([email protected]) or Editor Dan Gleeson ([email protected]).

To view the full speaker line-up, venue details and to take advantage of the soon-to-expire Early Bird attendance rate, please visit the event homepage here.

Dana shows off Spicer Electrified with TM4 e-Hub Drive at Bauma China

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Dana Incorporated has introduced the Spicer® Electrified™ with TM4® e-Hub Drive at the Bauma China show this week.

This fully integrated electro-mechanical system for heavy-duty mining and construction applications leverages Dana’s portfolio of vehicle electrification technologies, according to the company.

“Designed for underground mining trucks, large wheel loaders, and reach stackers, this e-Hub drive integrates proven heavy-duty Spicer axle expertise, Brevini® planetary drive designs, TM4 electric motor technology, and Dana’s advanced control expertise into a single package that delivers efficiency, reliability, and performance,” Dana said.

Currently in pre-production field testing with vehicle manufacturers, the e-Hub drive is scheduled to be ready for production by the end of next year.

Christophe Dominiak, Chief Technology Officer for Dana, said: “The ultimate measure of hybrid and electric technologies is their ability to meet the rigorous performance expectations of off-highway vehicles at the work site.

“This e-Hub drive illustrates how rapidly and effectively Dana has capitalised on our strategy to produce hybrid and electric propulsion solutions that perform in the harshest work environments anywhere in the world.”

Dana’s global centre of excellence for designing axles used in mining and other heavy-duty applications, the Dana China Technical Center in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, is ideally suited to lead the development of the e-Hub drive, the company said.

“The facility also leads the development of heavy-duty Spicer planetary steering axles for rough-terrain cranes with lift capacities ranging from 30 t to 110 t.

Dana’s engineering resources in the US, Italy, and Canada participated in the co-development of the Spicer Electrified e-Hub Drive, the company said.

Aziz Aghili, Executive Vice President of Dana and President of Off-Highway Drive and Motion Technologies, said: “With 23 worldwide technology centres strategically located near our customers, Dana has a distinct advantage in the development of propulsion systems for heavy-duty vehicles.”

“By combining our unmatched range of technologies with our regional expertise, Dana can precisely channel our engineering efforts toward highly tailored solutions on a market-by-market basis.”

Dana has emphasised engineering and development for hybridisation and electrification as part of the company’s enterprise strategy, which focuses on leveraging its decades of electric engineering expertise and product knowledge to offer an extensive portfolio of advanced hybrid and electric technologies that have been engineered for multiple vehicle markets.

“Ranging from complete systems and modular solutions to individual sub-system components, Dana is able to support its customers in developing series and parallel hybrid configurations up to full battery-electric vehicles.

“Dana’s electrified product offerings are able to meet the diverse architecture and platform requirements of its broad customer base by delivering enhanced performance, packaging optimisation, and reduced system weight,” the company said.

Dana has made a series of strategic moves to support electrification and hybridisation, including the acquisition of the power-transmission and fluid power businesses of Brevini; a majority ownership of TM4 Inc, a motor and inverter manufacturer; and an agreement to purchase the Drive Systems segment of the Oerlikon Group.

“Combined with the company’s core expertise in driveline technologies, sealing systems, and thermal management, these initiatives position Dana as the leading supplier of electrification solutions for the off-highway segment,” Dana said.

With the recent acquisition of TM4, Dana’s electrification capabilities now include in-house design and manufacturing for electric motors, power inverters, and control systems. Dana also offers a wide selection of Brevini® motion products to support the power distribution requirements of hybrid and electric off-highway vehicles. These products include gear pumps, hydraulic power units, valves and controls, hydraulic axial piston motors and pumps, orbital motors, control hardware and software, advanced sensor technologies, and operator-information displays.

Beyond the e-Hub drive, Dana is currently leveraging a wide portfolio of technologies for off-highway customers to offer dozens of successful electrified driveline applications now in production and pre-production testing.

Dana’s growing portfolio of electric and hybrid technologies is ideally positioned to support the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s ‘Made in China 2025’ initiative, and the company’s expertise has been honoured by leading organisations, it said.

For four consecutive years, Dana has been recognised by the China Decision Makers Consultancy for its electric and hybrid vehicle solutions. In 2017 and 2018, Dana was named the ‘Outstanding Power Electronics Solution Provider of the Year’, while Dana earned the ‘Best Battery Solution Provider of the Year’ award in 2015 and 2016. Additionally, Dana’s two-sided chip cooling technology was a 2016 Automotive News PACE Award finalist.

Dana serves numerous off-highway manufacturers in China, including AGCO, CRCHI, Epiroc, John Deere, and SANY. The company currently operates 17 facilities in China with approximately 6,750 employees through both wholly owned and joint venture operations.

Volvo CE and Skanska Electric Site project cuts carbon emissions and costs

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A 10-week research project electrifying and automating the majority of equipment at Skanska’s Vikan Kross quarry, near Gothenburg, Sweden, has seen a 98% reduction in carbon emissions, a 70% reduction in energy cost and a 40% reduction in operator cost.

The Electric Site research project, conducted by Volvo Construction Equipment and its customer Skanska, were even better than expected, the two companies said. As a result, the test period has been extended until the end of the year.

IM has been on site at the project today and witnessed the machines in operation.

“The results also indicate that the Electric Site project takes a big step towards helping Volvo CE achieve its future vision where work sites are 10 times more efficient, with zero accidents, zero unplanned stops and zero emissions,” Volvo CE said.

Together, these results support the potential for a 25% reduction in total cost of operations, Volvo said, explaining the reduction in total cost of operations is just a prediction at the moment.
“As the prototype machines are part of a research project and are not commercially available, it is impossible to give a guaranteed figure,” the company said.

Uwe Müller, Chief Project Manager for the Electric Site at Volvo CE, said: “Over the last 10 weeks, we’ve made incredible progress, learnt a lot and seen huge potential in the Electric Site solution’s environmental, efficiency, safety and cost benefits.

“In fact, we have decided that we want to learn more, so we will extend our test period with Skanska until the end of the year. The results we have seen so far confirm that this research project is a step towards transforming the quarry and aggregates industry and creating emission-free quarries.”

The Electric Site project aims to electrify each transport stage in a quarry – from excavation to primary crushing, and transport to secondary crushing. It incorporates electric and autonomous prototype Volvo CE machines, new work methods, and site management systems, which together form a complete site solution. New technology encompasses machine and fleet control systems and logistic solutions for electric machines in quarries.

Anders Danielsson, President and CEO of Skanska, said: “With climate change reshaping our industry, we need to find new, sustainable solutions and build partnerships with organisations that have different competencies.

“Our ambition is that this collaboration with Volvo CE will help us and our customers to reduce our carbon footprint. The power of partnership will make it happen.”

Melker Jernberg, President of Volvo CE, said: “At Volvo CE, we believe in a sustainable future and we are doing our best to build the world we want to live in. The Electric Site is one example of how we are trying to achieve this. With this research project we are combining intelligent machines, automation and electro-mobility to challenge traditional ways of working in the quarrying industry and explore new alternatives.

“We will now further mature the technologies involved and the reliability of the concept. Developing, testing and validating prototype machines with a customer at an early stage in the process speeds up development and ultimately brings more value to us and our customers.”

The Electric Site project involves eight HX2 autonomous, battery-electric load carriers, which transport the material from the primary mobile crusher up to the secondary static crusher. When it came to energy use per tonne, the HX2s proved they could help Volvo CE take a big step towards achieving its future vision where work sites are 10 times more efficient, the company said.

The second-generation prototypes incorporate shared technologies and components from the Volvo Group. They use a lithium-ion battery to power two electric motors which drive the machine; the hydraulics are driven by an additional electric motor. The HX2 is fitted with a vision system, which allows it to detect humans and obstacles in its vicinity. It can follow an adjustable, pre-programmed GPS path.

The LX1 prototype electric-hybrid wheel loader delivered more than a 50% improvement in fuel efficiency at the quarry, as well as significant reductions in emissions and noise pollution, compared with its conventional counterparts. Its job was to organise the piles of material at the site.

The LX1 is a series hybrid that incorporates a driveline that consists of electric drive motors mounted at the wheels, electric-driven hydraulics, an energy storage system, a significantly smaller diesel engine and new machine architecture, including a new design of the lifting unit. It’s this combination that enables the substantial gain in fuel efficiency.

The EX1 70 ton, dual-powered, cable-connected excavator prototype loaded the primary crusher at the quarry. The base machine for the EX1 is a Volvo EC750 crawler excavator that has been upgraded to incorporate an electric motor in addition to the diesel engine. At the quarry, the machine was plugged into the grid, so zero emissions were emitted.

If the cable is connected, the EX1 will automatically start in electric mode. If not, it will start in diesel mode. The EX1 is operated in exactly the same way as a conventional Volvo excavator.

Trolley assist up and running at Boliden’s Aitik copper mine

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Boliden has installed four trolley assist truck units at its Aitik copper mine in Sweden as the company looks to step up its vision for fossil fuel-free operations, the company’s Technology Director, Staffan Sandström told attendees at Epiroc’s Power Change Days event in Örebro, Sweden, this week.

The trolley kits, supplied by Caterpillar, are running on Cat 795F haul trucks on a trolley assist line as part of a two-year trial project at Europe’s largest open-pit copper mine.

For the project, Boliden has joined forces with Eitech and ABB to supply electrical infrastructure; Pon Equipment and Caterpillar for truck modifications; and Chalmers University with supporting research on system aspects of the electrification. The project is supported by the Swedish Energy Agency and has seen an investment in a 10 MW capacity DC substation.

The aim is to examine the possibility of replacing elements of Aitik’s transport system with electrified trucks. The objective is to be able to move the majority of the 70 million or so tonnes of rock transported at the open pit each year entirely without the use of fossil fuel.

At the event this week, Sandström confirmed the first trolley line was commissioned in September and had been working well, showing a close to two times increase in speed on an incline when compared with the equivalent diesel trucks.

The real test for the trucks and trolley line was yet to come, he said.

“This is nothing new; it has been done before. The new thing here is going to be working in 40° below [freezing],” he said.

The project’s Technical Manager, Jonas Ranggård, made a similar remark recently in a Boliden press release, saying: “As we want to be able to use the electrified routes in all weather conditions year-round, the pilot project as a whole can only first be evaluated at the end of 2019/start of 2020.”

Rikard Mäki, Project Manager for the R&D project, told IM the company was already preparing for these conditions.

“Road maintenance impact is one of the parameters that will be evaluated in the pilot project in order for us to accurately take this factor into account as part of the following investment decisions. We have fitted one motor grader and a wheel loader with machine guidance systems in order to maintain correct flatness, target slope and height of the ramp.”

On the trolley assist technology, Sandström continued: “Today, it works very well and roughly 30% of all transport has potential to be used on the trolley line at Aitik,” he said, adding it could have wider applications at the company’s Kevitsa nickel-copper mine in Finland.

Boliden said the first Aitik trolley line is around 700 m long and is expected to save some 830 m³/y of diesel. This should help the company reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% along those routes where the technology can be implemented.

In addition to the emission benefits brought to both the wider community and those operating in the mine, Sandström said the productivity and cost benefits (reducing the amount of diesel purchased) could also have a big impact.

Mäki said: “We do see this technology as the most promising solution near term for both Kevitsa and Aitik in order to reduce fuel cost and emissions. Decision to move ahead with further extension of the system is pending results from the pilot test. The initial results are looking very positive and the operators are very engaged in the pilot test.”

In other news, but still on haul trucks and potential electrification, Boliden confirmed in its September quarter results that, on October 19, the company reached agreement with Komatsu regarding the purchase of 17 haul trucks for Kevitsa and nine mine trucks for Aitik in an investment totalling some SEK 900 million ($99 million).

The investment is being made against the background of the ongoing expansion, insourcing of transport and as a replacement for part of the existing fleet of trucks. Boliden said all of the trucks are equipped for future electrification and delivery will commence in mid-2019.

Epiroc and Kirkland Lake Gold leading the mine electrification race, Riach says

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Canada and Australia-focused Kirkland Lake Gold has helped Epiroc become one of the leaders in the underground battery-electric mining equipment market, Richard Riach, Global Senior Project Manager for the OEM, said at the company’s Power Change Days event in Örebro, Sweden, on Wednesday.

The miner currently has some 33 battery-electric vehicles running around underground at its Macassa mine in Ontario, Canada, 14 of which are Epiroc machines. Overall, some 75-80% of the company’s haul and load operations are carried out by battery-electric equipment, he said.

Based on those numbers, the miner is one of the leaders in the field of battery-electric adoption underground, as well as a key partner for Epiroc.

“They’ve been the people that have helped us develop the products we have today,” Riach said.

The benefits haven’t all been one way.

Riach said Kirkland Lake had witnessed just a 2°C increase in the underground environment during the battery-electric mucking cycle with LHDs and trucks at Macassa, compared with an 8°C increase using the diesel equivalent.

Vibration and noise emissions have fallen, while operators are less tired at the end of a shift – a tell-tale sign of operating with heavy polluting diesel equipment. The amount of dust circulating around the workings has also dropped.

Riach, who formerly worked for Vale in Sudbury, said Epiroc’s development timeline for battery-electric machinery started all the way back in 2012. The first Scooptram ST7 Battery was produced in 2013 before a 2014 machine trial with Goldcorp’s Red Lake mines department. The Minetruck MT2010 then came along in 2015.

With around 65,000 hours of operating data from battery-electric equipment, Epiroc has now launched its second generation of battery-electric machines – two new LHDs (Scooptram ST14 and Scooptram ST18), a 42 t truck (Minetruck MT42, pictured) and a range of mid-sized drilling equipment including face drilling, production drilling and rock reinforcement rigs.

While the company will start to roll out these products from next year – IM understands at least one piece of the second-generation machinery will go to Agnico Eagle Mines’ Kittila gold operation in Finland as part of the SIMS (Sustainable Intelligent Mining Systems) project – it already has its sights on more products.

Stevan Topalovic, Vice President Marketing Underground Rock Excavation division at Epiroc, said the technology was readily scalable and Epiroc was already working on an 18 t LHD.

There is also a target to roll out battery-electric equipment across its entire underground fleet within the next five years.

And about the potential for retrofitting, Erik Svedlund, Global Marketing Manager – Electrification, Epiroc, said the company was carrying out studies to do exactly this. This could lead to the retrofitting of battery-electric technology on Epiroc diesel equipment and, even more interesting, other OEM’s machines.

The company would not have been able to get to this point in its product evolution without the help of battery maker Northvolt and ABB. Both companies have been instrumental in providing the technology to make this transition from diesel to electric operation.

As part of this new range, Epiroc is committed to its Battery as a Service offering. This will see the mining OEM provide a warranty for the battery and provide both software and hardware updates on an annual basis.

“Our battery system will improve every year with improvements in the battery cells,” Svedlund said, explaining the modular design of the machines and batteries allowed this. He said the company was even prepared for a future switch to solid-state batteries.

By shifting the battery element of these machines from a capex to opex item, providing the widest range of battery-electric mining equipment across the market and remaining open to changes in both the battery chemistry and system, the company is hoping to differentiate its machines from its competitors.

Resolute powers up for electrification of Syama Underground gold mine in Mali

Automation, Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining safety, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

Australia-based Resolute Mining has more than just autonomy on its mind at the in-development Syama Underground gold mine in Mali. The company is also weighing up full electrification of its mining and development fleet.

Resolute has partnered with Sandvik to deliver the automation solution at Syama, with the OEM also supplying the underground fleet, which includes automated Sandvik TH663 trucks and LH621, LH517 and LH514E LHDs

Sub-level caving is expected to commence at the planned 2.4 Mt/y operation in December 2018, Resolute Chief Operating Officer Peter Beilby told IM. “We will then ramp up to full automation and run-rate production by June 2019,” he added.

Resolute has previously said one of the reasons for its choice of equipment at Syama Underground was “anticipating the logical next step in the evolution of underground machinery to battery-powered operation”.

When IM asked Beilby about this, he responded: “We strongly believe that, as well as going automated, mining is going electric.”

While the initial fleet will have some diesel loaders for development headings and diesel-powered trucks, plus drilling equipment with small diesel motors, Resolute is already scheduled to have a tethered version of the Sandvik LH414E, and, Beilby revealed, a DD422iE, Sandvik’s battery-powered electric mining jumbo.

This battery-powered jumbo, designed to drive down production costs while reducing the environmental impacts of drilling and tunnelling, is also in use at Goldcorp’s Borden development project in Ontario, Canada.

And, it appears this is just the start of Resolute’s electrification plans at the project.

“We certainly want to pursue further electrification,” Beilby said, adding: “I have no doubt that in, say, five years’ time, we will be a lot further down the track with electric mining.”

IM was speaking to Peter Beilby as part of a longer interview for the Big Data and digitalisation feature to be published in the upcoming IM November issue.