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ICMM looks to align mining industry on cleaner, safer vehicles

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When the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) launched its Innovation for Cleaner, Safer Vehicles (ICSV) program just over a year ago, some industry participants may not have realised how much progress could be made so quickly by taking a collaborative approach.

The ICMM has proven influential across the mining industry since its foundation in 2002 in areas such as corporate and social governance, environmental responsibility, and stakeholder relations, yet it has rarely, until this point, engaged directly as an industry group with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and service providers.

Close to 12 months after being established, it’s clear to see the program and the council itself has been successful in bridging a divide.

It has been able to corral a significant portion of the mining and mining OEM market players into a major industry discussion on core focus areas set to dominate the sector for the next two decades.

Now 27 of the world’s leading mining companies and 16 of the best-known truck and mining equipment suppliers are collaborating in a non-competitive space “to accelerate the development of a new generation of mining vehicles that will make vehicles cleaner and safer,” the ICMM says.

The ICSV program was created to address three of the most critical safety, health and environment performance issues in the ICMM’s mission towards zero harm and decarbonisation. Achieving this goal would involve the industry introducing and adopting the next generation of equipment to respond to the challenges.

More specifically, the program aims to:

  • Introduce greenhouse gas emission-free surface mining vehicles by 2040;
  • Minimise the operational impact of diesel exhaust by 2025; and
  • Make collision avoidance technology (capable of eliminating vehicle related collisions) available to mining companies by 2025.

In all three, it seeks to address the industry’s innovation challenge of ‘who motivates who’ or the chicken and egg analogy, according to Sarah Bell, Director, Health, Safety and Product Stewardship for the ICMM.

“You can imagine a mining company saying, ‘we can’t adopt technology that doesn’t yet exist’ or an OEM saying, ‘we can’t invest in development because we’re getting mixed market signals’. This is, of course, why this program has been set up in the way it has,” she told IM. “Bringing both the mining company and OEMs together, they have been able to work through these normal innovation challenges and align on defining the direction of travel and critical complexity to be solved for each of the ambitions set.”

High-level participation

The list of companies the ICMM has been able to involve in this program is impressive.

It is being guided by a CEO advisory group of six; three from the mining community – Andrew Mackenzie (CEO, BHP), Mark Cutifani (CEO, Anglo American) and Nick Holland (CEO, Gold Fields) – and three from the mining equipment supply side – Denise Johnson (Group President of Resource Industries at Caterpillar), Max Moriyama (President of the Mining Business Division at Komatsu) and Henrik Ager (President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology).

On the mining company front, ICMM membership makes up around 30% of the total metal market share, with some 46% in copper, 27% in gold and 42% in iron ore. Participating OEMs and third-party technology providers, meanwhile, include the three majors above, plus Cummins, Epiroc, Wabtec Corporation (formerly GE), Hexagon Mining, Hitachi Construction Machinery, Liebherr, MacLean Engineering, MTU, Modular Mining Systems, PBE Group, Nerospec, Future Digital Communication and Miller Technology.

Bell says the high-level participation builds the “widespread confidence” needed to accelerate investment in these three key areas”, while the ICMM’s focus on the leadership side of the technology integration equation and change management has proven “absolutely key”.

She clarified: “This collaboration operates under anti-competition and anti-trust rules. Our role is to convene the parties, motivate action and promote solutions.”

The program offers a “safe space for the OEMs and members to work openly in a non-competitive environment”, she added, explaining that the aim is not to come up with “preferred technologies”, but define the “functional and operational pathways required to meet the ambitions set”.

Vehicle interaction (VI)

Some of the ambitions look easier to achieve than others.

For instance, collision avoidance and proximity detection technology has made huge strides in the last decade, with the ICMM arguing its 2025 target is like a “sprint”, compared with the “10,000 m race” that is minimising DPM underground by 2025 and the longer-term aim to introduce GHG-free surface mining vehicles by 2040.

“There are regulations that require implementation of collision avoidance and proximity detection technology by the end of 2020 in South Africa,” Bell said. This will undoubtedly provide a catalyst for further developments to speed up.

The ICSV program is also leveraging the work of the Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table (EMESRT) in its development of fundamental functional/performance requirements for operators and technology providers.

These requirements were updated and released by EMESRT in September and are known as ‘PR5A’.

Credit: Hexagon Mining

Bell delved into some detail about these requirements:

“The EMERST requirements are designed around a nine-level system that seeks to eliminate material unwanted scenarios such as – equipment to person, equipment to equipment, equipment to environment and loss of control,” she said.

“The fundamental change with this newly released set of functional requirements by EMESRT is that the mining industry users have defined the functional needs for levels 7-9 (operator awareness, advisory controls, and intervention controls). That stronger level of collaboration hasn’t necessarily been there.”

EMESRT and its guidelines have been given an expanded global platform through the ICMM’s ICSV, with the program, this year, providing the convening environment for users and technology providers to help finalise these updated requirements, according to Bell.

With all of this already in place, one could be forgiven for thinking the majority of the hard work involved with achieving the 2025 goal is done, but the working group focused on VI knows that while OEMs continue to retrofit third-party vehicle collision and avoidance systems to their machines the job is not complete.

“Let’s think about the seatbelt analogy: you don’t give buyers of vehicles a choice as to whether they want a seatbelt in their car; it just comes with the car,” Bell said.

“At the moment, by design, vehicles don’t always have this collision and avoidance systems built in, therefore there is a big opportunity for collaboration between OEMs and third-party technology providers.”

Underground DPM goals

“The DPM working group have recognised that, in the case of the DPM ambition, ‘the future is already here, it’s just unevenly distributed’,” Bell said.

“Bringing together the OEMs and the mining companies this year through the ICSV program has enabled the group to explore the variety of existing solutions out there today,” she added.

These existing solutions include higher-tier engines, battery-electric equipment, tethered electric machinery, fuel cell-equipped machines for narrow vein mining and solutions to remove DPMs and other emissions from the environment like Johnson Matthey’s CRT system.

And, there are numerous examples from North America – Newmont Goldcorp at Borden, and Glencore and Vale in Sudbury – South America – Codelco at El Teniente Underground – and Europe – Agnico Eagle Mines at Kittilä (Finland, pictured) – to draw from.

Bell also mentioned some examples from Australia where regulatory changes have seen miners apply existing technology and carry out changes in their work plans and maintenance practices to minimise DPM emissions.

Haulage and loading flexibility, battery charging and mine design have all come under the spotlight since these new generation of ‘green’ machines have emerged, so achieving the 2025 goal the ICSV stated is by no means a foregone conclusion.

“There remains more work to do in achieving diesel-free vehicles underground,” Bell said.

The interested parties are aware of this and the program’s DPM maturity framework is helping miners and OEMs plot a course to reaching the target, she explained.

“The DPM maturity framework promotes existing solutions available today that would enable a mining operation to reduce their DPM emissions to a level that would meet the ambition level (shown as Level 4 – transition to zero),” she said.

These frameworks are useful for starting a “change conversation”, Bell said, explaining that mining companies can assess within their organisations where they currently sit on the five-level chart and discuss internally how to move up the levels to meet their goals.

These same frameworks look beyond minimising “the operational impact” of DPM emissions underground, with Bell explaining that Level 5 of the maturity framework involves “non-DPM emitting vehicles”.

GHG-free surface mining vehicles

Even further in the distance is the longer-term target of introducing greenhouse gas emission-free surface mining vehicles by 2040.

This ambition, more than any other, is less clearly defined in terms of technological solutions across the industry.

While battery-electric solutions look like having the goods to reach DPM-free status underground with expected developments in battery technology and charging, the jury is still out on if they can create a GHG-free large-scale open-pit mining environment.

The world’s largest battery-electric haul truck – eMining’s 63-t payload eDumper (pictured) – may have proven its worth at a Ciments Vigier-owned quarry in Switzerland, but the world’s largest open-pit mines require a solution on another scale altogether.

As Bell said: “There is a lot of work to do to develop batteries at scale for surface fleet that suit the different operating conditions.

“That’s a key point because that lends itself to the fact that we don’t want one solution; we will need multiple solutions. We don’t want to stifle innovation; we want to encourage it.”

ICMM member Anglo American has hinted that hydrogen power could be one solution, and the miner is looking to show this next year with the development of its hydrogen-powered 300-t payload haul truck.

There has also been in the last 18-24 months a mini renaissance of trolley assist projects that, ABB’s Gunnar Hammarström told IM recently, could, in the future, work in tandem with battery-powered solutions to provide a GHG-free solution.

The ability for industry to pilot and validate technology options like this “within the boundaries of anti-competition” is crucial for its later adoption in the industry, Bell said.

She said a key enabler of industry decarbonisation is access to cost competitive clean electricity, which would indicate that regions like South America and the Nordic countries could be of interest in the short and medium term for deploying pilot projects.

It is this goal where the industry R&D spend could potentially ramp up; something the ICMM and the ICSV is aware of.

“For the OEMs and mining companies to effectively minimise capital expenditure, optimise R&D expenditure and reduce the change management required by the industry, there needs to be a careful balance of encouraging innovation of solutions, whilst managing the number of plausible outcomes,” Bell said.

In terms of encouraging the development of these outcomes, carbon pricing mechanisms could provide some positive industry momentum. Vale recently acknowledged that it would apply an internal carbon tax/price of $50/t when analysing its future projects, so one would expect other companies to be factoring in such charges to their future mine developments.

Industry-wide GHG emission caps could also provide a catalyst. In countries such as Chile – where up to 80% of emissions can come from haul trucks, according to ICMM Senior Programme Officer, Verónica Martinez – carbon emission reduction legislation could really have an impact on technology developments.

Forward motion

While 2019 was a year when the three working groups – made up of close to 50 representatives in each work stream – outlined known barriers or opportunities that might either slow down or accelerate technology developments, 2020 will be the year that regional workshops convened to “encourage first adopters and fast followers” to move these three ambitions forward take place, Bell said.

A knowledge hub containing the previously spoken of maturity frameworks (delivered for all three groups) will allow the wider industry outside of the ICMM membership to gain a better understanding of how the miner-OEM-service provider collaboration is working.

Bell said the ICMM already has a number of members testing these group frameworks on an informal self-assessment basis to understand “how they are being received at an asset level and feedback insights to the group in an effort to understand how we may portray an industry representative picture of where we are today”.

Such strategies bode well for achieving these goals into the future and, potentially, changing the dynamic that has existed between end users and suppliers in the mining sector for decades.

Bell said: “The feedback that we got from OEMs is that mining companies had completely different objectives, but they have now greater confidence that we are aligned on the direction of travel towards the ambitions set.”

Trolley assist to take off, ABB’s Hammarström says

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Thanks to Boliden’s recent trial at its Aitik open-pit mine, in Sweden, the subject of trolley assist is back on the mining industry’s agenda.

Offering environmental and productivity benefits, trolley assist technologies have been spoken of for decades. In the height of the oil crisis of the 1970s, numerous studies examining applications were completed and miners made preparations to reduce their reliance on diesel.

Despite this, widespread industry adoption has not occurred. There have been some installations in Africa, in addition to one in Turkey (Kisladag), but the technology has not caught on to the extent many thought would happen.

ABB, which supplies not only batteries, drives and motors for battery-electric equipment, but can also provide the infrastructure required for trolley assist projects, believes the market is about to turn once again. Gunnar Hammarström, Global Product Manager Trolley Electrification Systems for ABB, thinks there are three main reasons why it is about to take off.

“One is the legislation and environmental part of the business case,” he told IM.

Boliden, which has moved from the 700 m trolley line trial at Aitik to confirming it will install an additional 3 km of trolley line at the mine, plus 1.7 km at Kevitsa (in addition to the accompanying conversion of diesel-electric haul trucks), says it will reduce its diesel consumption by 5,500 cu.m/y when its investment is complete. That is a big number.

“Another completely different reason for why demand has been picking up, especially for larger trucks, is there are a lot of diesel-electric trucks coming into mines,” he said. These trucks already have an electrical system on board to tap into, which makes it easy to put them on a trolley line.

Lastly, fuel prices are increasing all the time, Hammarström said. This is leading miners to diversify their energy mix to help reduce input costs.

When added to the productivity gains that can be achieved with trolley assisted haul trucks and the reduction in noise when trucks run on this line, it is hardly surprising Boliden is not the only one charging into trolley assist.

In the last year alone, First Quantum Minerals has said it will equip its Cobre Panama copper-gold mine, in Panama, with trolley assist, while Austria iron ore miner, VA Erzberg, has announced it intends to electrify the main haul road of its Erzberg mine site and operate a fleet of T 236 trucks from 2021 under trolley assist.

On top of this, RNC Minerals has said it is studying the use of trolley assist at its Dumont nickel-cobalt project in Quebec, Canada.

While trolley assist has been used long before the mine electrification phenomenon we know today gained traction, Hammarström sees trolley assist helping facilitate this market move.

“Generally speaking, I think for most of the vehicles you have in a mine, you can go on battery, but it is very far into the future where you have major uphill transportation of all your production in the mine through batteries,” he said.

The technology involved with stationary charging and the ability to re-charge the battery when going downhill would need to improve on the biggest haul trucks to make it a viable proposition, he explained.

“Yet, if you look into the future – and not that far – a diesel electric trolley might be an intermediate phase,” he said. “If you have invested in trolley now, you can certainly use it when you have batteries (driving the trucks).”

This could see battery-powered haul trucks carry out tasks ‘off-line’ when going downhill or on a flat before they ‘attach’ back onto the line for uphill transportation of material when the battery is recharged.

“I think after diesel-electric powered haul trucks, it will be a really good chance for on-board charging,” he said of the trolley infrastructure.

EVS&T hopes low voltage electric drive system draws high demand

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Electric Vehicle Systems and Technology says it has developed a breakthrough technology with its patented ultra-low voltage (ULV) electric drive system that can drive light and heavy mobile mining equipment.

At voltages as low as 3 V, the equivalent power of an internal combustion engine can be electrically generated to drive machinery, it said.

The company has installed its drive system in a Toyota Landcruiser and was showcasing its technology at the International Mining and Resources Conference in Melbourne, Australia, this week.

EVS&T Spokesman, Michael Byford, said the safety implications alone of its patented Ultra Low Voltage electric drive system were enormous.

“It removes the electrocution hazard for operators, maintenance personnel and emergency crews in the event of an accident,” Byford said. “The need for training personnel to work with high voltage can be removed.”

Electric drive systems have the potential to reduce ventilation costs, eliminate health concerns over diesel particulate matter, allow deeper or more productive mines and add a great advantage to a mine’s social licence to operate.

Machinery total cost of ownership will also decrease because of less maintenance required by electric drive systems and the reduced running costs achieved by using electricity over fossil fuels, EVS&T says. Such reductions should also favourably impacts a mine’s operating costs.

EVS&T’s ultra-low voltage solution eliminates the need for high voltages in the region of 340 to 1,000 V, which are presently the only way to power electric mining machinery, the company says.

“These voltages, which carry significant safety risks and require stringent guidelines and work practises, dedicated charging facilities, and properly trained operators and maintenance personnel, can be removed from the risk assessment on the machinery,” it said.

The other benefits of the ULV electric drive system, according to the company, include:

  • Quick and efficient battery swap, even with the motor running;
  • A motor which is battery agnostic, allowing the upgrade of batteries at any time and even the operation of mixed battery chemistries at the same time;
  • Parallel battery configuration, which allows the vehicle to continue to drive even with one or more degraded battery units;
  • Low voltage battery packs that are amenable to simple charging arrangements, even directly from solar cells;
  • No software means no built-in obsolescence and no avenue for malicious hacking;
  • No dedicated tooling required for maintenance and support; and
  • Retrofitting to existing equipment is highly feasible, reducing capital expenditure and extending vehicle operating life.

Boliden backs trolley assist haulage for Aitik and Kevitsa

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Boliden has decided to invest SEK300 million ($31.2 million) to expand the trolley assist facilities at its Aitik copper mine, in Sweden, as well as implement the corresponding technology at its Kevitsa nickel mine, in Finland.

The investments, to be made mainly during 2020-2021, come on top of the money invested in a two-year trolley assist pilot project at Aitik. This project saw Eitech and ABB supply electrical infrastructure; Pon Equipment and Caterpillar carry out truck modifications; and Chalmers University provide supporting research on system aspects of the electrification. It led to a 700 m electric trolley line being installed and four Cat 795F haul trucks being converted.

The project was also supported by the Swedish Energy Agency and saw investment in a 10 MW capacity DC substation.

Aitik is currently the only mine in the arctic where electric trolley has been installed, according to Boliden.

Mikael Staffas, President and CEO of the Boliden Group, said: “We are now taking further steps to improve both productivity and climate impact at our two open-pit mines.”

In Aitik, a further 3 km of electric trolley line will be built and another 10 trucks will be converted for electric trolley lines. Overall, the plan means that greenhouse gas emissions from transportation over the life of mine are reduced by nearly 15%.

In Kevitsa, 13 mining trucks will be converted for electric trolley lines at the same time as the 1.8-km-long electric trolley line is being built. The investment means that greenhouse gas emissions over the life of mine are reduced by 9%.

The electric trolley installations are being deployed in stages until 2022.

Boliden calculates that this move will reduce diesel consumption by 5,500 cu.m/y when the investment is completed.

In addition, productivity gains are expected as the electrically powered trucks can run at a higher speed than the diesel equivalents.

The working environment for the drivers is also improved, not least through lower noise levels, Boliden added.

GMG launches cybersecurity and electric mine working groups

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The Global Mining Guidelines Group (GMG) says it has just launched two new working groups on cybersecurity and the electric mine to create safe and sustainable mines of the future.

The Cybersecurity Working Group aims to help mining stakeholders as they look to design safe, secure, reliable and resilient cybersecurity infrastructure that adheres to regulatory, trust, and privacy best practices, GMG said.

The group is to provide guidance for the industry to access and implement existing solutions, be responsive to the priorities of the industry, and look for projects that will benefit from GMG’s open, collaborative principles and processes, it added.

“As digitalisation increases in our industry, so does the risk of cybersecurity incidents,” says Andrew Scott, GMG Vice-Chair Working Groups and Principal Innovator at Symbiotic Innovations. “Industry-wide knowledge sharing and collaboration are important for mitigating these risks.”

Scott added: “The topic has come up in many existing GMG projects including those on autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and interoperability, and it is clear that cybersecurity is a high-priority concern among mining stakeholders.”

The group will work closely with the Mining and Metals Information Sharing Analysis Centre (MM-ISAC) to collaborate on and identify existing projects and prevent duplication, according to GMG.

The Electric Mine Working Group, meanwhile, aims to accelerate the advancement and adoption of electric mining technologies in underground and surface contexts. It will cover all-electric technologies that are replacing those that typically use diesel.

Key objectives include developing guidelines and sharing information on using and testing electric technologies and designing electric mines.

GMG Managing Director, Heather Ednie, said: “The shift toward the electric mine in surface and underground contexts is indicative of our industry’s growing commitment to reducing greenhouse gases and providing safer working environments.

“Previous GMG work on battery-electric vehicles in underground mining brought together a community of companies leading the way in developing and adopting electric mining technologies. As these technologies are increasingly used in surface mines, the need to expand the community has become clear.”

This group will work in parallel with the International Commission on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and its Innovation for Cleaner Safer Vehicles (ICSV) initiative to ensure that the initiatives support each other, GMG explained.

Once launched, these groups will form a steering committee to refine the scope and objectives and identify early projects, GMG said.

The Cybersecurity Working Group will have its introductory virtual meeting on November 11. The kick-off workshop is to define what the industry needs from a cybersecurity perspective; it will be held at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, USA. on December 5, held in partnership with the MM-ISAC.

The Electric Mine Working Group will have its introductory virtual meeting on November 21.

Newmont Goldcorp’s ‘all-electric’ Borden mine reaches new milestone

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Close to a week after cutting the ribbon on its Borden mine, near Chapleau, Ontario, Newmont Goldcorp has achieved commercial production safely, on schedule and within budget at the ‘all-electric’ mine.

The mine features state-of-the-art health and safety controls, digital mining technologies and processes, and low-carbon energy vehicles – the latter provided by the likes of Sandvik and MacLean Engineering.

Tom Palmer, Newmont Goldcorp President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “Consistent project delivery and disciplined operational execution remain cornerstones of our business and are central to creating long-term shareholder value. Borden joins the next generation of Newmont Goldcorp mines and leverages our leading land position to anchor this new gold district in Ontario.”

At 1,000 sq.km, Borden’s land package represents additional exploration upside as the deposit remains open at depth in a favorable mining jurisdiction, according to the miner. Ore from Borden is processed at the existing mill at Porcupine, in Timmins, profitably extending operations at the gold mining complex.

In recognition of Borden’s contribution to the future of safe and sustainable mining, the Canadian and Ontario governments each granted C$5 million ($3.8 million) towards electrification of the mine.

 

Mine electrification is inevitable, Artisan Vehicles’ Kasaba says

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As mining companies around the world seek the best ways to approach their sustainability goals, electrification has emerged as one of the most promising solutions.

With this in mind, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology recently acquired California-based Artisan Vehicle Systems, a leading manufacturer of battery-electric underground vehicles.

Recent studies show that the electrification of a mine has the potential to reduce energy costs by up to 25% in existing operations, and as much as 50% in new mines. Looking to the future, electric power is set to become even more affordable, with the cost of renewable electricity from solar and wind power technologies projected to fall by as much as 59% by 2025, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Mike Kasaba, Managing Director, Artisan Vehicle Systems, a Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology business unit, says electrification has the potential to disrupt every industry in which mobile equipment is used. Looking across all segments, development efforts are currently under way with virtually every manufacturer of vehicles or other mobile machines. Why is this? Kasaba says it comes down to the simple fact that the customers who use these machines are demanding it.

“Regardless of whether these customers are individuals, construction firms, government fleets, trucking companies, ports or mining and tunnelling organisations, what the vast majority of them have in common is that they are embracing a fundamental shift in technology away from fossil fuels,” Kasaba says.

Reducing diesel emissions to zero makes the underground working environment safer for the miners while ensuring that emissions are not vented into the environment. But, beyond the safety aspect and the obvious environmental benefit to the planet, Kasaba explains that electric mines also deliver advantages in terms of economy, productivity and performance.

“As the cost of this new technology decreases and the range, reliability and performance increase, electric drive systems are starting to outperform fossil fuel systems on overall cost of ownership, competitive advantage, return on investment and driver preference,” he says.

Many of these new mobile machines are being built from the outset with future technological advancements in mind.

“They are ready for remote upgrades, range performance improvements and more,” he says.

When it comes to the all-important economic arguments, a mine site stands to benefit in several ways from electrifying its mobile fleet. The cost of the ventilation systems, one of the most expensive aspects of developing and operating a mine, can be reduced by anywhere from 30-50% when using battery-electric machines that produce zero diesel emissions. Furthermore, less ventilation translates to a net reduction in electricity use and therefore a more energy efficient mine site overall. Meanwhile, the eliminated cost of buying diesel fuel equates to tens of thousands of dollars in savings – per vehicle and per year.

Maintenance costs are also reduced, since electric vehicle propulsion rigs have around 25% fewer parts than diesel propulsion rigs. Battery-electric machines produce one-eighth of the heat produced by a diesel machine, which can make new projects in deep mines, and mines with active geothermal conditions, more viable than they would otherwise be, due to the reduced heat factor.

Last but not least, regulatory bodies are gradually starting to favour mines that commit to an all-electric underground environment, resulting in approvals for permits that would otherwise be denied, along with a faster permitting process, both of which are potentially game-changing for mining companies around the world.

For its size, an electric motor has far more power and torque than a combustion engine. Since total horsepower does not have to be limited to mitigate ventilation system costs, far more power can be packed into a smaller machine. As a result, battery-electric machines can be designed from the ground up to handle more torque and power and therefore increase productivity in any given machine size class.

Although the advantages of electric mining speak for themselves, the industry is taking time to adapt. However, Kasaba says change is in the air.

“There are no obstacles preventing the use of electric,” he says. “The machines are at least as productive as diesel machines, the overall costs are lower, and batteries and electric components are being made in high volumes so production is scalable.” He adds that throughout modern history most technological advancements that have offered greater productivity, environmental, health and other benefits have tended to come with trade-offs such as increased costs, but this is not the case with electrification.

“The view is that, in the case of the electrification, overall costs will be lower,” Kasaba says. “This, coupled with the fact that zero diesel emissions are inherently healthier and safer for mine site workers, makes electrification inevitable.”

As a leading supplier to the mining industry, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology has been quick to recognise the huge potential benefits of electrification. In February this year, Sandvik completed the acquisition of Artisan Vehicle Systems to secure access to its cutting-edge technologies and solutions, which include proprietary battery packs, electric motors, power electronics, software and control systems for hard-rock underground mining.

Mats Eriksson, President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology’s Load and Haul division, says this is a logical step in complementing the market-leading competence and experience that already exists at Sandvik’s state-of-the-art battery-electric vehicle and electrification research centre at the Load and Haul facility in Turku, Finland.

“Artisan is a front-runner in electric vehicle development, and Sandvik’s new R&D foothold in this area will complement the know-how and skills we already have from developing and making world-leading loaders and trucks,” Eriksson says, adding that the acquisition is advantageous to both parties.

While Sandvik will benefit from Artisan’s quick, agile approach to innovation and battery-electric vehicle expertise, Artisan will gain access to the established strength and operational experience of Sandvik, which has been the market leader in tethered electric underground loaders since 1981.

“The acquisition of Artisan battery-electric vehicles places Sandvik in a leadership position in terms of electrification within underground mining, which is clearly the direction in which the industry is heading,” Eriksson concludes.

The full version of this article appeared first as a Sandvik Solid Ground online news story, see following link: https://solidground.sandvik/an-electric-future/

3ME and KESHI sign flameproof electric motor distribution deal

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3ME Technology has signed a 10-year distribution deal with KESHI Group that will see its e-mobility solutions equipped with flameproof electric motors.

The agreement comes as 3ME Technology continues to build its strategic position in the mine electrification sector, including technology offerings for underground hazardous areas (flammable atmospheres) where challenging flameproof equipment certifications exist.

3ME said: “3ME Technology aims to provide superior electro-mobility (e-mobility) solutions to improve safety, performance and sustainability with one of its key target industries being mining. KESHI Group is a full-service provider of hazardous area mining auxiliary transportation equipment, engaged in the development, manufacturing, sales and service of hazardous area mining transportation solutions.”

KESHI Group, through collaboration with UQM Technologies (now Danfoss Editron), developed a flameproof electric motor designed to meet explosion-proof compliance. 3ME, through its strong relationship with UQM Technologies over the last 10 years, was provided with an introduction to KESHI over 12 months ago, which led to this formalised collaboration.

The current flameproof motors include UQM internal components – named a cartridge – combined with a KESHI Group metal housing. This will be incorporated into 3ME Technology’s flameproof system going forward.

“The distribution deal supports 3ME’s exclusive supply of KESHI-UQM explosion-proof motors into the Australian and New Zealand market,” 3ME said.

3ME Technology CEO, Justin Bain (pictured bottom right, signing contract), told IM: “3ME continues to consolidate key supporting technologies that, when combined with our core battery system and vehicle control software, progresses 3ME’s strategic position in both the local and international mining market and in this case for hazardous areas.

“We have successfully used the highly-reliable UQM (Danfoss Editron) e-motors for many years which, combined with the KESHI flameproof enclosure, provides an excellent new product for our vehicle manufacturer partners supporting hazardous area operations.”

Bain added 3ME looks forward to long-term successful collaboration with KESHI Group and “we have already identified other areas for promising collaboration in both the import and export space”.

Following a recent meeting with Bain and 3ME Technology’s CTO, Steven Howell, at AIMEX 2019 in Sydney, Australia, recently, IM understands the company has been very busy in the workshop with developing partners, with corporate and product updates expected soon.

 

India’s first all-electric, heavy-duty truck ready for 2020 launch, reports say

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Infraprime Logistics Technologies (IPLT) says India’s first all-electric, heavy-duty 60-t truck has had its initial commercial run, with a launch for the country’s construction and mining sectors scheduled for next year, according to local reports.

IPLT says its electric truck, the IPLT Rhino 5536, is the first of its kind to be integrated and deployed in India.

Some of its distinguishing features include the transmission based electric drivetrain, proprietary vehicle control software for improved mileage in material logistics and a battery pack “designed for optimal performance in local conditions”.

The latter has an in-built air-conditioned secondary cooling system to maintain the temperature around each cell at below 35° C even when ambient temperature climbs above 50° C, according to the company. IPLT said the 265 kWh battery pack weighs in at more than 2 t, making it one of the largest packs in use in India, and a 160-kW “twin gun fast charging” system is used to recharge it. This system, it says, could also offer a “blueprint for a pan-India network” of charging devices, it said.

eMining looks to retain battery-powered haul truck lead

Environmental, Equipment maintenance, Industrial minerals, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , ,

eMining looks to be two-and-a-half years ahead of its competition with the development of its battery-powered haul truck, the eDumper, but many hurdles still lie ahead for the KUHN Schweiz-owned company to convert this market lead into orders.

Seeing it in the flesh last week at the Ciments Vigier SA limestone quarry, near Biel-Bienne, in Switzerland, IM was impressed with the 63 t (payload) machine.

Comparing it with an original Komatsu HD605-7 – one of which was handily on site – there is not much difference apart from the four battery packs that appear to slot in as if they were always there.

As Gernot Beutle, Sales Project Manager for eMining, confirmed the major changes involved switching the diesel engine out for the electric motor, a change in the hydraulics to improve the lifetime of the equipment and a new truck body (a Duratray rubber suspended dump body). The latter was needed to facilitate the smooth runoff of material from the truck body in winter. Without the heat generated from a diesel engine, there was a possibility the material could get stuck when temperatures plummet – a distinct possibility at the limestone quarry, which is more than 1,000 m above sea level and can see temperatures drop as low as minus-20°C, Beutle said.

There was also a redistribution of the haul truck’s weight to the axles in order to cope with the addition of the four battery packs, which can generate up to 700 kWh of energy.

The eDumper has certainly been run through its paces at the limestone quarry, clocking up more than 1,500 hours, coping with inclines of as much as 13% and having its tyres equipped with chains during the height of winter.

While in most conditions the truck only needs an overnight recharge once every three days, Beutle says the addition of tyre chains in winter can run down the battery more on the incline and result in increased regularity of charging.

On the other hand, the 13% inclines are no problem for the battery-electric truck. With a higher torque than the diesel equivalent, it can quietly accelerate up hills at speeds of up to 40 km/h, with the downhill route seeing the battery recharge thanks to the regenerative braking capacity.

From first looks, the team at the limestone quarry treat the eDumper just like the rest of the mixed truck fleet – which also includes Cat 775Fs. The battery-powered machine tracks the same route to the awaiting Cat 990H wheel loader and carries the same tonnage as the other haul trucks. The operators do, however, appreciate the quietness of operation it offers and that increased power.

One would expect Le Lynx (the name of the inaugural eDumper) to be joined by another unit at the limestone quarry in the not too distant future – indeed there was a second charging station set up at the quarry that would indicate its impending arrival – but finding more buyers for this world-record battery electric machine has proven tricky so far.

Talks with other quarries and mining companies are at various stages, Beutle said, with talks conducted this year potentially turning into purchase orders at the beginning of next year.

Other mining companies – a few falling into the ‘major’ category – had been to visit the quarry and the machine to see it in operation.

The problem eMining and Beutle face in finding another perfect partner like Ciments Vigier is the cost, application, battery life and potential returns these green haul trucks offer.

The battery-powered eDumper is currently likely to cost two-and-a-half-to-three-times more than the diesel equivalent (with the battery packs currently taking up 30-40% of the upfront cost) and, in general, it requires an operation time of five-to-10 years to pay back the upfront capital. On the other side of the equation, reduced maintenance costs with the removal of the diesel engine is one operating cost benefit, as is the higher torque, speed and acceleration the truck offers. These aspects have seen the company actively market a total cost of ownership (TCO) model in all its negotiations.

The NMC lithium-ion battery it is fitted with, meanwhile, looks like having 5,000-7,000 cycles in it. This is plenty for this limestone quarry operation, but might not be enough for bigger mining operations.

While the eDumper appears to provide a positive TCO equation for Ciments Vigier, it is not suited to every operation. The reason it works at the limestone quarry in Switzerland is the fact it travels uphill unladen with material and is able to recharge its battery as it makes the descent with a full payload. There are not many mines with such an operating blueprint.

This has seen eMining ask all potential customers to fill out a check list before negotiations progress to ensure it is worth having further conversations. A site visit is normally conducted after this list is analysed and a detailed feasibility study is written up to ensure everything is taken into consideration before an investment decision is finalised.

A larger, 100 t (110 ton) battery-powered truck could swing the eDumpers’ TCO equation in the favour of a positive investment decision and Beutle knows this.

“At this size, we are much, much more efficient than a diesel equivalent going uphill,” he told IM, explaining the diesel burn is that much greater when you add the extra 37 t of payload.

What he is also aware of is the likelihood the company will need a partner to manufacture this larger vehicle.

The company originally obtained some Swiss government funding to build the eDumper over the 18-month period it took to develop. One would hope, given the current greenhouse gas emission clampdown on off-highway vehicles in Europe, it would be able to seek similar ‘green’ funding for a 100 t truck build.

That is without even considering an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) offering financial support as a development partner. Many OEMs already have diesel machines in this payload bracket, so know there is a significant market for this size machine.

Beutle says companies extracting limestone, coal, graphite and other materials have also shown an interest in a 100 t battery-powered unit: more potential partners.

For eMining to retain its lead in the race to produce a battery-powered haul truck for the open-pit mining space, though, it would need to keep its autonomy from any potential partner. The reason the company was able to open such a gap over much bigger rivals is the fact it is structured as a startup. While parent company KUHN may be a Komatsu equipment dealer, Komatsu was not involved with eMining or the eDumper, according to Beutle. This enabled the company to develop the eDumper over that 18-month period. One can’t imagine an OEM being able to replicate such a feat.

In the near-term, eMining’s best chance of proving its battery-power worth outside of Switzerland is selling retrofit kits to companies interested in recreating the eDumper. The company plans to offer component kits and services to clients or sales partners to assemble the vehicles on their own – this could be particularly practical outside of Europe where KUHN’s servicing footprint is not as vast.

What fast became apparent from spending just a few hours in this limestone quarry is that the eDumper works, eMining is the most likely firm to deliver a battery-powered haul truck into the open-pit mining space and that most miners will require a bit more convincing before they buy one.