Tag Archives: Sweden

AFRY selected as engineering partner for SSAB fossil-free steel project

SSAB, a global specialised steel company, has awarded AFRY the main engineering partner contract for its fossil-free steel mini-mill project in Luleå, Sweden. AFRY’s assignment includes basic and detail engineering.

The services will be provided during 2024-2026.

SSAB is undertaking a major project to transform to fossil-free steel production. SSAB is planning to replace the current blast furnace production route with a new, state-of-the-art mini-mill concept that utilises electric arc furnaces.

The mini-mill will produce 2.5 Mt/y of fossil-free steel. Once completed, SSAB will decommission the existing blast furnace-based production facility in Luleå, reducing Sweden’s annual CO2 emissions by 7% in addition to the 3% reduction from the Oxelösund mill conversion, it states.

AFRY’s assignment is linked to the melting and hot rolling complex, and it includes the full multi-disciplinary basic and detail engineering. The melting and hot rolling complex includes electric arc furnaces, secondary metallurgy, thin slab casting and hot rolling as well as the necessary infrastructure and auxiliary services.

Nicholas Oksanen, EVP and Head of Process Industries at AFRY, said: “We are proud to continue our strong partnership with SSAB on this important green transformation project aimed at decarbonising steel production. The unique combination of AFRY’s local and global expertise as well as our deep knowledge of SSAB’s projects will ensure a high-quality and efficient project delivery from AFRY.”

The startup of the new production line is planned for the end of 2028.

Boliden’s sustainable metals supply strategy on show at Rävliden

Boliden is used to setting the standard in mining, and its latest innovation leap focused on electrification at the Rävliden mine in northern Sweden is another example of it leading from the front.

The Sweden-based company has a vision of being the most climate-friendly and respected metal provider in the world, and, from what IM witnessed and heard last month during a visit to the extension of the Kristineberg mine, Rävliden, it is well on its way to doing that.

The group climate targets that were validated and approved by the Science Based Targets initiative at the back end of 2023 – reducing absolute CO2e Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 42% in 2030 from the 2021 baseline among these – are important markers for Boliden, but what is even more impressive is the actions being taken on the ground to hit these.

Among them are the addition of numerous battery-electric vehicles into the underground operating fleets in the mines within the Boliden Area and Garpenberg, the open-pit trolley assist achievements made with diesel-electric drive trucks at Aitik and Kevitsa and, at the Smelting divisions, major investments in recycling. This is underpinned by energy inputs that are from predominantly fossil fuel-free grids or with captive green energy supply.

This has allowed the company to establish Green Transition Metals (GTM): a portfolio of recycled and low-carbon metals that it sells on the market and act as a key differentiator in the commodity space. To this point, these products have allowed the company to access forms of finance unavailable to competitors lacking such green credentials.

The philosophy behind this tangible example of sustainable commodity supply has been felt upstream and downstream of Boliden HQ, as confirmed by Patrik Westerlund, Boliden Senior Development Engineer.

Westerlund is responsible for the underground truck trolley project at Rävliden and says he has felt the backing and involvement of management at every turn of the project.

“Whenever reporting on progress on the project, I have felt support from management,” he told IM. “Innovation is encouraged from the top down at Boliden.”

Battery truck trolley first

In 2021, the company outlined a SEK1.25 billion ($123 million) investment at Kristineberg towards further developing the mine towards the Rävliden mineralisation. This expansion was expected to contribute to an increase in milled volumes in the Boliden Area to 1.8 Mt/y.

A satellite deposit close to Kristineberg – which, itself, has been operating since the 1940s – Rävliden constitutes a sub-vertical to steeply south-dipping, 5-25-m wide and 150-m high mineralised lens, or system of lenses, with a length extent of at least 900 m along plunge. The mineralisation at Rävliden is broadly of a similar character to Kristineberg although is amenable to both long-hole stoping and transversal open stoping – as opposed to the cut and fill mining and drift and fill mining methods utilised to mine the mineralised material underground at Kristineberg.

Exploration of the Rävliden mineralisation has resulted, to date, in 8.4 Mt of inferred and indicated mineral resources. The deposit contains copper, zinc, lead, silver and gold, with mining rates of 800,000 t/y making for a 10-year operation.

Where the project gets very intriguing – and the reason for IM’s visit – is in the company’s haulage plan.

Where Kristineberg uses a 160 t/h skip hoist to get the crushed ore to surface, Rävliden is expecting to transport its ore, waste, concrete and personnel using a 5.6-km ramp stretching from surface to 750 meters underground, at an average incline of 1:7.

This will represent a world-first battery-trolley operation, which the company is already proving out via an 800-m trolley test track – also a world first.

Back in April, Boliden, Epiroc and ABB passed a new technology milestone by successfully deploying the first fully battery-electric truck trolley system on this test track, which boasts a 14% incline as well as a curve with a 35-m-long radius.

IM, during late August, witnessed one of these fully loaded Epiroc battery-electric Minetruck MT42 SG Trolley trucks in operation at the mine, along with the supporting infrastructure supplied by ABB and others. The on-board truck infrastructure includes ABB’s DC-DC converter, HES880 inverters and AMXE motors to enhance the power of the machine, while there are off-board rectifier substations for the track. The ABB Ability™ System 800xA® was also showcased during the visit, which monitors and controls the electrical system. In addition, Siemens provided on-board hardware for the MT42 SG Trolley truck.

The truck features a trolley pantograph connected to an overhead catenary line, which is similar in makeup to an on-road electric highway application.

During the visit, ABB highlighted how its solution had been customised and tweaked to work within the regulations and safety standards in Sweden, as well as Boliden’s own site requirements.

Epiroc also showcased how its battery-electric Minetruck MT42 SG has been adapted to work on trolley; the most obvious adaptation being the use of three battery subpacks as opposed to the standard five subpacks the battery-only machine is normally equipped with. The removal of 40% of battery power was justified to make room for the on-board DC-DC converter, as well as the reduction in power required to operate on the trolley line – as is currently envisaged, the trucks will only run on battery power alone for a circa-0.9 km stretch of the 5.6-km ramp.

Franck Boudreault, Epiroc’s Underground Application Expert Electrification, remarked on the economic benefits of running off grid-backed trolley power, compared with battery power alone. The OEM’s modelling also indicated the batteries on board would benefit from a substantial uplift in life due to the comparatively “light duty” application they would have while on trolley. This increased longevity would translate to reduced operating costs over the mine’s lifetime.

BEV loader first

As if the battery-trolley first was not enough for one project, Rävliden also became the first mine to automate stope loading with a battery-electric LHD – the Epiroc Scooptram ST18 SG – late last year at Rävliden. This is on top of commissioning ABC Total on an Epiroc Simba M6 longhole production rig at the operation. ABC Total allows for a full round of holes to be drilled automatically, according to Epiroc.

The miner’s ambitions go beyond this, though, with plans to automate the fleet of Minetruck MT42 SG Trolley trucks running on the ramp. The ‘concrete’ nature of these plans is evidenced by the fact Boliden has already built a loading station adapted for automation underground at Rävliden, as well as the moves to install an above-ground remote operations station later.

There is plenty more to this mine, which produced first concentrate last year, than ramp haulage.

The circa-$120 million investment also covers an underground crusher – a Metso Nordberg® C160 jaw crusher – a ventilation plant built with heat exchangers for increased efficiency and sustainability, a truck loading station, workshop and pumping stations.

The automated loaders carry blasted material from the stopes to either ore passes or loading pockets. Material is either directly loaded from the bottom of ore passes into the crusher at -750 m or by using MT42 SG trucks to transport material from loading pockets to the crusher. From the crusher, the material is transported by conveyors to loading chutes. These chutes feed crushed ore to the MT42 SG Trolley trucks, which move up the ramp and dump on surface. Ore is then trucked circa-90 km to the Boliden Area Operations Process Plant for beneficiation by flotation, before further processing the concentrate to a final product at the Rönnskär smelter, 65 km away.

The electrical infrastructure to support a complete fleet of electric vehicles and mobile equipment is also part of this, as Westerlund and his colleague Frida Pettersson (Project Manager at Rävliden) confirmed.

In a brief presentation on these plans, Westerlund outlined a fleet that included three battery-electric LHDs, three battery-electric trucks, four battery-trolley trucks, two “construction” battery-electric trucks, two electric light loaders and 12 “mining machines” that are also due to be battery-electric.

Battery-powered machines already ordered and/or delivered include two Epiroc Boomer E20 SG Battery drills, two Epiroc Boltec E10 SG Battery bolters, one Jama battery-powered SBU8000E underground scaler (using an Epiroc battery solution underpinned by Northvolt batteries), three Epiroc Scooptram ST18 SG LHDs, two MT42 SG trucks and the four MT42 SG Trolley trucks.

Westerlund admitted question marks remained over whether Rävliden would be able to source a full-electric fleet in the next few years, explaining that the company has had to employ diesel equipment where it cannot currently obtain the ‘green’ alternatives. He was hopeful there would be a proliferation of battery-electric integrated tool carriers in the near term – outside of the diesel-to-battery conversions available in relatively small quantities in Australia – as well as battery-electric material transport trucks from the likes of Scania. He also saw mass produced battery-electric pick-ups coming.

Haulage to surface and underground load and haul activities represent over 85% of diesel and CO2 emissions at the project, according to Westerlund, meaning the big emission wins are within reach.

All these machines could come together for a mixed battery-electric autonomy first, with Epiroc the likely integrator in this scenario – similar to what the OEM has achieved with a mainly diesel-powered fleet at the Cadia operation, in Australia, in partnership with MacLean.

This is the current plan, but there is some flexibility being built into the mining operations at Rävliden. Westerlund and Pettersson, for instance, said the ventilation plant had been sized for a bigger operation, with expectations that exploration will reveal more resources to justify higher mining rates.

Commercial appeal

With Boliden committing to this battery-trolley haulage scenario, it opens the question: how big a market is there for such a solution going forward?

There were several attendees from major and mid-tier mining companies on this trip, indicating interest is high. At least one mining contractor and some smaller consulting/engineering companies also joined the delegation in Sweden.

There were questions put to Westerlund and Pettersson from this community about whether the same throughput could be achieved via a hoisting operation. In response, Westerlund referred to the obvious fact that the planned haulage route meant the company could reuse the current industrial area and leave a very limited footprint on surface at Rävliden.

A Jama battery-powered SBU8000E underground scaler in operation

The battery-only haulage question came up too, but the 1:7 average incline of the ramp would likely require a significant number of battery swaps and/or charges during normal operation.

Boliden is in a very good position to enact this plan, being blessed with a significant amount of renewable power at Rävliden, expertise with battery-electric machines and the required electrical infrastructure thanks to previous trials and vehicle acquisitions, previous experience of underground trolley via Kiruna truck deployments at Kristineberg and elsewhere, and confidence in the expansion of its orebody.

While not in a unique position, there are only a few companies and operations that have all these factors going for them.

This will inevitably play into Epiroc’s plan to commercialise the MT42 SG Trolley system, and ABB’s own supporting electric infrastructure.

Boudreault said there were several criteria Epiroc wanted to tick off with the test track at Rävliden to highlight the commercial business case, including:

  • Demonstrating the ability to manage energy in a smart way on trolley;
  • Benchmarking the cost per tonne of such an operation; and
  • Showcasing the potential productivity benefits.

“We very much see this proof of concept with Boliden as the ‘ice breaker’ in terms of battery-trolley haulage potential,” he said.

Those who visit the mine in 2025 will likely see the commercial operation of the 4.7-km trolley line, gaining an understanding that goes beyond the proof of concept, but Boudreault said the significant speed on ramp boost, improved cycle time and ability to deploy less trucks in such a haulage operation would prove enticing for starters.

“At the same time, we are aware that the right partners will be needed to make any new installation a success,” he explained, adding that ABB’s input may be sought again for such a deployment.

This is before considering the local electrical standards that such an operation would be guided by, plus any other safety-related regulations that would need consideration.

“All of these will be factored into trade-off studies that are specific to that operation and the company’s own requirements,” Boudreault said, adding that, on paper, an operation with a 5-10 year mine life was likely required to make a battery-trolley operation economically work.

Leading from the front

The involvement of Swedish innovation agency Vinnova and its initiative ‘Sustainable Industry’ – which includes some financing for the project – will undoubtedly have helped get such a project off the ground at Rävliden, yet don’t discount the ingredients Boliden can call on to create the ideal mix for such innovation.

More so than any other mining company, Boliden has integrated sustainability at every point of the supply chain.

It has been using an internal carbon price to make investment decisions at all its operations for over a decade; it has embedded recycling into its thinking, becoming one of the first miners to leverage smelting capacity to process such material; it has implemented nitrate-free and environmentally friendly explosives at some of its operations (Kankberg being one); and it has also embedded mill lining recycling into its activities at Aitik.

That’s before mentioning its feats in the mining equipment automation space, an arena the company feels will pair well with electrification to deliver more than the sum of their parts in the future.

Many of these feats have been facilitated by the renowned Nordic mining equipment, technology and service space, which has allowed the company to access and implement the solutions at a suitable pace.

Not all miners demand respect from their peers and stakeholders, and even fewer can claim to be ‘climate-friendly’. Boliden can argue it ticks both boxes.

Tapojärvi kicks off open-pit mining contract at Kaunis Iron

Tapojärvi Sverige Ab recently began a new contract mining gig at the Kaunis Iron mine in Pajala, Sweden, at the same time as the temperatures in that region plummeted to around -40°C.

The service contract with Kaunis Iron covers machine work in ore production as well as production support work, which includes all open-pit production activities other than rock transportation, drilling and charging.

Miika Miettinen, Production Manager at Tapojärvi, said the contract began as agreed on January 1, with the company compiling a service package in only six weeks.

The start of a new service contract requires new personnel and equipment to carry out production in line with the contract. Additionally, production control systems, infrastructure, offices and production facilities, as well as maintenance services, are needed. A mining contractor must also consider safety at every step of production.

Approximately 60 new employees were recruited, and additional personnel were borrowed from other Tapojärvi sites, to bring this contract in within the six-week timeframe.

Miettinen highlights the professional mindset of his employer, skilled and committed personnel and new equipment as Tapojärvi’s strengths. These factors enable Tapojärvi to respond quickly to the client’s needs.

“We were forced to let the production stand idle when the temperature dropped low in early January,” Miettinen said. “There were also some struggles involving the machinery. Despite everything, our operations have been launched successfully and the client has been happy with our performance.”

To support its operations, Tapojärvi has developed processes and systems that are constantly collecting online production data. Data and analytics help enhance Tapojärvi’s performance, safety and maintenance processes.

“We are able to provide the client with comprehensive and complex production data, which allows us to influence the mine’s operations and performance together with the client,” Miettinen said. “I am glad that our cooperation with Kaunis Iron has gone smoothly from the very beginning and that we are already involved in developing the operations.”

The service contract with Kaunis Iron is Tapojärvi Sverige’s first major open-pit mine contract in Sweden. The company has previously worked in underground mines on the sites of LKAB and Zinkgruvan, for example.

LKAB to bring GHH LF-19EB tethered-battery electric loader to Malmberget

LKAB is set to add to its electric fleet at the Malmberget mine in northern Sweden after agreeing to acquire a LF-19EB tethered-battery electric loader from Germany-based GHH.

The manufacturer welcomed a team of LKAB team experts to its factory and testing ground in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, this month, with a successful Factory Acceptance Test of the LF-19EB taking place.

The LF-19EB is a 19-t-payload LHD initially designed for feeder breaker loading in the soft rock, salt and potash mining industries. It has a 34 kWh on-board battery for panel-to-panel electric tramming, with a tractive effort force of 380 kN and an average of 250 kVA under permanent load and 315 kVA peak. It has a maximum cable length of 310 m, which provides loading flexibility when plugged into the mine grid.

The loader heading to Malmberget has been upgraded for hard-rock applications with input from the customer, GHH says.

LKAB has tested and used several pieces of battery-electric equipment from different vendors at its Malmberget mine, while its Kiruna mine was among the industry’s earliest adopters of cable-electric loading, trialling its first Sandvik unit in 1985.

LKAB bolsters automated, electric Sandvik loading fleet at Kiruna iron ore mine

LKAB has ordered 12 Toro™ LH625iE cable-electric loaders and five Toro™ LH621i loaders, all equipped with Sandvik’s AutoMine® solution, for its Kiruna iron ore mine in northern Sweden.

The order will more than double Kiruna’s electric Toro LH625iE fleet to 20, all of which will now be automated, and its total Sandvik loader fleet to 28 by the end of 2025, the OEM said.

The orders were booked in the June and December quarters of 2023, with deliveries scheduled from January 2024 through the end of 2025. The investment follows a study by Sandvik’s Trans4Mine team and calculations by Polymathian that identified opportunities for Kiruna to increase production by as much as 15% through automation of its large electric loader fleet.

“Sandvik and LKAB have a shared goal to boost production at the Kiruna mine,” Magnus Backe, General Manager LKAB Kiruna, said. “This is a true partnership to increase tonnage and improve safety through automation.”

Developed in 2020 as a collaboration between LKAB and Sandvik to replace Kiruna’s ageing fleet of 17 Sandvik LH625E loaders, the 25-t-payload Toro LH625iE is a revamped version of the industry’s largest-capacity underground loader.

“This investment supports our strategy towards a more electrified, autonomous and safer mine,” Joel Kangas, Mine Manager at LKAB, said. “We need to excavate an enormous volume of rock from depths of up to 1,300 m, and we will mine even deeper in the future. These depths present a prohibitive ventilation challenge for conventional equipment of the size we need to meet production demands. We worked closely on a daily basis with the Sandvik experts on site to ensure a seamless implementation.

“Ever since we put the first Toro LH625iE straight into a production environment more than three years ago, these loaders have been the backbone in our production system, exceeding our expectations, and we look forward to incorporating these new automated units into our operation.”

Kiruna was among the industry’s earliest adopters of cable-electric loading, trialling its first Sandvik unit in 1985. The oldest of Kiruna’s Sandvik LH625E loaders was 13 years old and had more than 40,000 production hours when what began as a project to modernise the loader and a side project to enhance its cable reeling system ultimately evolved into a completely upgraded loader model with the latest technology and new components.

Sandvik collaborated closely with LKAB to customise the design of Toro LH625iE to meet Kiruna’s needs. These included better energy efficiency than the original model with the same payload capacity and a larger, more ergonomic operator’s cabin with a turning seat that swivels 180°.

Mats Eriksson, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said: “[The] Toro LH625iE has proven itself at the Kiruna mine, delivering an unrivalled production capacity of up to 500 metric tons per hour. Not only are these automated loaders extremely productive, they improve underground conditions and operator comfort with less heat, fewer vibrations and lower noise levels. Our partnership will create value for LKAB for years to come, and we look forward to continuing to support LKAB’s goals to mine more sustainably and productively.”

The Toro LH625iE is 14 m long and features a 4-m-wide, 9 cu.m bucket and an energy-efficient, IE4 classified electric motor to deliver a low cost per tonne. It connects to Kiruna’s mine network via a 350-m trailing cable that enables an operating range of up to 700 m.

LKAB-DurocRail

LKAB invests in Ore Railway supply chain in northern Sweden

LKAB is looking to shore up its iron ore rail operations in northern Sweden by acquiring a stake and investing in new facilities for Duroc Rail AB.

The iron ore company has acquired a 49% interest in Duroc Rail from the Nasdaq-listed Duroc AB group, which retains majority ownership of 51%. The preliminary purchase price is approximately SEK75 million ($6.9 million), with LKAB also agreeing to invest up to SEK200 million to build a new industrial property for Duroc Rail at Hertsöfältet in Luleå.

Duroc Rail is a certified operator with unique expertise in wheel maintenance for locomotives and wagons with experience of the climate in northern Sweden, LKAB says.

The Ore Railway runs between the port of Luleå and the port of Narvik, passing by the iron ore fields in northern Sweden. Almost half of all goods transported by rail in Sweden and Norway is currently being transported on the Ore Railway, with LKAB’s volumes accounting for the largest share.

For LKAB, the Ore Railway is an integrated part of the production system that starts in the mine and ends at the steel and mineral customers via the railway and ports. High capacity and availability of the Ore Railway and rolling stock in the form of locomotives and wagons is therefore business critical.

LKAB said: “The investment is a further step for LKAB to strengthen its capacity and flexibility to meet the growing challenges of the Ore Railway. In the past year alone, LKAB has invested in a new locomotive workshop in Kiruna, ordered 100 new wagons and started major work to modernise and upgrade the IORE locomotives used to transport iron ore, totalling an estimated value of SEK600 million.”

Linda Bjurholt, Logistics Manager at LKAB and CEO, LKAB Malmtrafik, said: “Duroc Rail has unique expertise in wheel maintenance for locomotives and wagons. LKAB is entering into this partnership to ensure that Duroc Rail remains and develops its operations in Luleå. They are part of a larger system and a prerequisite for efficient and predictable rail transport. Rail transport is completely dependent on effective maintenance of the railway wheels. This is important for LKAB and other railway operators today, and in the future.”

The wheel maintenance business was established in Luleå more than 100 years ago. Duroc Rail currently rents premises from SSAB on Svartön, in Luleå, but due to SSAB’s planned transformation from blast furnace to electric arc furnace operations, which requires access to more land, the lease will not be renewed. New buildings, equipment, certifications and other measures mean that the move will be a major investment.

John Häger, CEO Duroc AB, said: “Duroc Rail needs new industrial properties, and with LKAB as shareholder we can ensure development and capacity for the future, where we see that the green transformation that is taking place will require more efficient maintenance of wagon and locomotive wheels. We will therefore continue to invest and develop our offering for all customers in the region. We are pleased that our more than 100-year-old company with 50 employees in Luleå will continue to develop.”

Within Business Area Special Products, LKAB is developing new businesses in addition to the iron ore production, such as industrial minerals for external customers, as well as key services such as concrete, drilling, explosives, rock work, mechanical-engineering services and maintenance for LKAB’s own operations.

Leif Boström, Senior Vice President Business Area Special Products, LKAB, said: “LKAB’s long-term strategy is to secure key services and products for efficient, safe, and sustainable operations. We work with partnerships and subcontractors, but also by developing or acquiring companies that have specific expertise, for example in managing supply risks. Duroc Rail is an important investment for us, it is a well-managed company with good development potential in several areas and will be an important part of LKAB.”

The transaction is formally subject to the completion of the property transfer for the new industrial property, which is expected to take place before the end of the year.

Boliden looks to strengthen biodiversity ties with Sarkanenä Sustainability Park near Aitik

In order to strengthen biodiversity and create accessible nature experiences for the public, Boliden has today inaugurated the Sarkanenä Sustainability Park close to its Aitik mine in Sweden.

The company’s aim is for additional sustainability parks to be introduced in connection with active or decommissioned sites, it says.

Åsa Jackson, Executive Vice President People and Sustainability at Boliden, said: “Mines inevitably have an impact on the environment and the local community in which mining takes place. However, by restoring the land or setting aside other land and initiating efforts to promote biodiversity, we can strengthen the overall natural values and contribute to long-term solutions for both ourselves and others.”

Boliden’s sustainability parks are areas within our land holdings consisting of forest land, decommissioned sites or land adjacent to active sites that can be opened to the public. The sustainability parks reflect the conditions at the site in question and will demonstrate the site’s history and Boliden’s association with it, historically, today and in the future, the company said.

A meeting place protected from weather will be available at all parks, along with nature experiences in the form of trails, playful elements, activities and more to learn about biodiversity. The information provided is also based on ecological, economic, socio-cultural and legal aspects, such as the natural values associated with the site and how these can be recreated and strengthened.

Sarkanenä Sustainability Park is located about 10 km south of Gällivare along the road to Nattavaara and includes, in addition to other features, a circa-2 km hiking trail with an experience trail.

Boliden Garpenberg receives Sandvik’s first automation-ready battery-electric Toro LH518iB LHD

Boliden’s Garpenberg zinc operation in Sweden has taken delivery of Sandvik’s first Toro™ LH518iB with AutoMine® as part of a 12-month collaborative trial of the new automation-ready 18-tonne battery-electric loader.

Considered one of the most modern mining operations, Garpenberg is the world’s most productive underground zinc mine and Sweden’s oldest mining area still in operation. The mine is now set to become the first in Europe to trial a Sandvik battery-electric loader, the OEM says.

The Toro LH518iB will support Boliden’s efforts to improve sustainability by reducing greenhouse gas emissions underground. The company’s climate targets include a 40% reduction of absolute CO2 emissions in Scope 1 and 2 and 30% reduction of Scope 3 emissions by 2030.

Jenny Gotthardsson, Garpenberg’s General Manager, said: “We are proud to be recipients of the very first Toro LH518iB with AutoMine. The unit has already undergone extensive factory testing in Finland and we look forward to really putting it through its paces now in our operation. We’re on a journey to reduce fossil fuel usage and CO2 emissions and increase productivity, and we are happy to work towards these goals with long-time partner Sandvik.”

The Toro LH518iB marries battery-electric and automation technologies. Building on the predecessor Sandvik LH518B, the Toro LH518iB features several design updates and significantly improved field serviceability. The latest version of Sandvik’s intelligent control system enables AutoMine readiness, and AutoMine compatibility will be available for Garpenberg’s Toro LH518iB in the March quarter of 2024.

The Toro LH518iB has dimensions equivalent to the 14-t size class, enabling it to fit in a 4.5-by-4.5-m tunnel. Its ground-up design, powerful electric motors and innovative electric driveline result in a compact size with higher payload capacity and increased visibility, Sandvik says.

Sandvik’s patented self-swapping battery system, including the AutoSwap and AutoConnect functions, minimises infrastructure needs and enables the loader to return to operation significantly sooner than ‘fast-charge’ mining BEVs, the company claims. The battery swap is performed by the loader itself, controlled by the operator in the cabin, without need for overhead cranes or forklifts.

Johanna Øygard, Territory Manager for North East Europe at Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, said: “We’re excited to see the productivity and sustainability benefits Garpenberg will gain from Toro LH518iB with AutoMine as we monitor the loader’s performance and production metrics over the next 12 months.”

In Mexico, Torex Gold is set to receive 11 Toro LH518iB battery-electric loaders as part of a 35-unit-strong hybrid fleet for its Media Luna project.

Anglesey Mining bolsters Grängesberg re-start plan with pumped hydro-energy storage potential

Anglesey Mining has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Swedish energy storage company Mine Storage International AB to investigate conceptual plans and designs for a pumped hydro-energy storage project at the company’s 49.75% owned Grängesberg iron ore mine after mining ceases.

Pumped-hydro storage is a green-energy storage solution that uses water and gravity to store electrical energy. An underground mine can provide a closed-loop solution using proven, pumped hydro-power technology, according to the company.

Essentially, the system involves water being gravity fed through pipes down a shaft into the turbines, which produce electricity for supply to the grid and also pump the water back to surface. The mine storage system reportedly has a high round-trip efficiency of 75-85% and proven durability.

The MoU, Anglesey says, could lead to numerous future benefits including:

  • A potential long-term revenue stream from the Grängesberg Mine to enhance the cashflow and net present value;
  • Enabling the circular economy with existing technology, turning a depleted mine into a power storage asset ensuring generational benefits; and
  • Partnering with a well credentialled Swedish partner and potential exposure to Scandinavian investors

Jo Battershill, Chief Executive of Anglesey Mining, said: “We are very pleased to have signed this MoU with Mine Storage over our Grängesberg project. The Mine Storage team has identified the Grängesberg Mine as one of the most suitable locations to design, install and operate what could potentially be a significant pumped hydro-storage project.

“As we have stated previously, we believe the Grängesberg project provides substantial strategic value and has the potential to be restarted as one of Europe’s largest individual producers of high-grade iron ore concentrates. We continue to investigate ways to advance the project through to a Financial Investment Decision, which may involve securing a strategic investor, offtake partner, separate listing, or a combination of these options.

“Any potential to convert the mine into a long-term source of hydro-storage power only adds to the strategic value of the asset. We look forward to working with Mine Storage on the options for integrating a pumped hydro-storage solution into the mine plans.”

Thomas Johansson, Co-founder and Chief Executive of Mine Storage International, commented: “This collaboration with Anglesey is a great confirmation of the value Mine Storage can offer not only in the global energy transition, but also for a sustainable mining industry. Anglesey Mining and Grängesberg Iron show a great leadership and we are both pleased and honoured to have entered into this collaboration with them.”

A prefeasibility study from July 2022, which envisaged a restart of Grängesberg in central Sweden, highlighted potential production of 2.3-2.5 Mt/y of iron concentrate grading 70% Fe. This was from a mine able to operate at an average rate of 5.3 Mt/y for 16 years.

Nordic Iron and VB Elnät look to engineer mine power access solution at Blötberget

Nordic Iron Ore has entered an engineering agreement with VB Elnät to determine the required measures for connecting its Blötberget project in Sweden to the electric grid.

In order to re-start mining activity in Blötberget, Nordic Iron Ore needs access to a maximum capacity of 20 MW. The company has previously signed a letter of tntent with Hitachi Energy regarding installation and operations of a permanent 50/10 kV power station, which will supply the mining area with electrical power.

During construction of the mine and the power station, access to temporary power supply will be necessary to make preparatory work such as construction of ramp, lighting, ventilation and drainage of water.

In order for Nordic Iron Ore’s facility to connect to the power grid, VB Elnät must evaluate required measures in its own electric grid and prepare documentation for applications for necessary permits, partly for the temporary usage of electrical power and partly for the permanent connection of the 50/10 kV power station, the company said.

The indicative time plan for this planning is that Nordic Iron Ore will be able to use 1 MW during the autumn of 2023 and gradually increase its usage to a maximum capacity of 20 MW during 2024-2025.

Nordic Iron Ore was formed in 2008 with the main aims of resuming mining operations in Blötberget and Håksberg and conducting exploration of the expansion potential of the Väsman field, together forming the Ludvika Mines, in southern Dalarna.