MINING ENGINES
The power transformation
As more companies talk up the use of diesel-alternatives in the
mining engines sector, one must ask: how long will the
combustion engine last in this new ‘green’ environment?
Dan Gleeson looks for an answer
“While Cummins continues to invest in new
sustainable technologies, diesel will remain a key
power source for mining due to its power density,
flexibility, durability and reliability. The goal is the
lowest cost of production in the most sustainable
way.”
While this might be a quote from Robert
Schaefer, Director of Mining Innovations &
Growth Initiatives for Cummins Inc – a company
that has, over the years, become known for its
diesel combustion engines – it is a widely-held
belief.
For all the talk of battery-electric, hybrid,
hydrogen and renewable power options for
mobile mining applications, widespread adoption
of a one-size-fits-all commercial solution is at
least a few decades away.
This is despite there being pockets of the
industry where diesel alternatives are taking off:
Battery-electric solutions are being trialled and
acquired throughout the underground mining
sector with leaders like Kirkland Lake Gold
(Macassa) and Newmont (Borden) using them as
core tenets of their environmental, social and
governance (ESG) programs.
Compact loading and haulage machines
equipped with fuel cells are also being designed
and developed for niche applications in
underground mining.
Hybrid battery and diesel-powered haulage
solutions have been spoken of by Sandvik. These
could be used in mines where significant uphill
ramp infrastructure rules out the use of fully
electric machines.
On the surface, Anglo American is looking to
trial hydrogen fuel cell technology on an ultraclass
haul truck at its Mogalakwena mine in
South Africa. This follows the building and startup
of a 200-ton (181 t) hydrogen fuel-lithium
battery mixed energy hybrid mining truck
prototype by Weichai Power and CRRC Yongji.
Trolley assist systems are also part of the
open-pit mining mix, with Boliden’s Aitik trial and
the planned commercial application of this
technology at that mine and the Kevitsa
operation being used as evidence that there is
still a place for this hybrid solution many decades
after it was introduced.
There is no on-size-fits-all solution here.
These examples show the dilemma the
industry is facing and, hence, the reason
Schaefer says there will “remain a place for
efficient, connected, advanced diesel technology
in mining for years to come”.
Stage V/Tier 4 Final
“These technologies, apart from Tier 4 Final, have
not really caught on,” Scott Woodruff, Director of
Mining + Oil & Gas at Rolls-Royce business unit
Power Systems, told IM.
As it stands, the major adoption theme in the
mining engines market is Tier 4 Final in the US
and Stage V in Europe. The engine hours for
these ‘cleaner’ engines continue to rise as
regulations for certain engine sizes in the two
regions kick in/approach.
All major engine OEMs associated with mining
are supplying Tier 4 Final products, using diesel
particulate-reducing technology or aftertreatment
solutions to ensure emissions are in
line with legislations.
In Europe, the Stage V adoption has also
Anglo American’s hydrogen fuel cell haul truck
project, in South Africa, has seen companies
from inside and outside the mining sector come
together to achieve something new
ramped up as legislation has come in, with
Cummins, Volvo Penta and Rolls-Royce (with its
MTU solutions) among the companies to have
started supplying these engines.
In November, Caterpillar ticked both US and
EU directive boxes launching the latest and
largest of its dual-certified EU Stage V/US Tier 4
Final engines, the Cat ® 3516E.
The OEMs have been quick to start using these
engines.
Underground, Sandvik is rolling out Stage V
compliant underground loaders and trucks for
hard-rock mining applications following extensive
testing. These have, to date, used Volvo Penta
Stage V D16 engines such as the TAD1643VE-B.
Similarly, GHH has announced the launch of a
Stage V engine range in its load haul dumpers,
starting with its 14-t payload vehicle. This comes
on top of the release of several Stage V dump
trucks and scalers.
Christer Hedström, Director Product Planning
for Volvo Penta Industrial, recently told IM: “We
have several customers in the mining segment
that are interested in the Stage V solutions. The
Stage V D16 is based on the same engine as
TAD1643VE-B and is now further improved with a
dual stage turbo, common rail fuel equipment
and a SCR (selective catalytic reduction)
catalyst.”
Woodruff sees these emission-reducing
engines catching on outside of the countries and
regions currently legislating for their use, as the
added productivity and environmental benefits
are appreciated in both open-pit and underground
mines. The Series 1000–1500 MTU Stage V
engines currently being used in Bell Equipment
ADTs, for example, have been shown to reduce
40 International Mining | JULY/AUGUST 2020