BATTERY AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The Sandvik LH514BE is understood to be a
combination of tethered cable and battery –
battery for tramming and cable operation for
mucking
Mine electrification: chapter two
Following success stories at mines such as Macassa and
Borden, the industry is preparing to go mainstream with its
‘electric mine of the future’ message, Dan Gleeson discovers
n the last year, mine electrification has become
more than just an industry theme.
At mining events, original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs), component builders and
service providers have launched new electric
solutions; at those same events, executives have
stood up and waxed lyrical about decarbonising
their existing operations; and several mine
developers have started to include the use of
battery-electric, cable-electric, trolley assist or
other hybrid electric machines in the ‘potential
economic improvements’ sections of major
economic studies.
As electric milestones continue to be achieved
on a daily basis, the industry story is moving
from a ‘Borden-focused’ tale (see The Borden
benchmark) to one that has many plot points and
protagonists.
I
Collaborating on innovation
Heather Ednie, Managing Director of the Global
Mining Guidelines Group (GMG), has been there
from the start of this latest electrification
movement.
GMG, a network of representatives from
mining companies, OEMs, technology
manufacturers, research organisations,
consultants and regulators around the world who
collaborate to tackle challenges preventing the
mining industry from progressing, launched its
first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) guideline for
underground mining back in June 2016
(published 2017). It has since seen the industry
mature to a point where miners all over the globe
are pushing technology providers to design
electric solutions that will allow them to achieve
their production and environmental goals.
She reflected on the start of guideline
discussions several years ago: “In the early days
when we launched the first version of the BEV
guideline, safety was always a big concern, but
the feasibility to mine was the biggest driver that
really accelerated things.”
Miners in Canada, such as Glencore and Vale,
were simply unable to make a strong enough
economic case to build new mines or develop
deeper underground levels with the current crop
of diesel-powered equipment due to ventilation
and air cooling requirements at such depths, she
explained.
“It really was: ‘we cannot mine if we don’t
have this technology’,” she said.
In Europe, miners like LKAB have also stated
they need to consider a different operating
paradigm if they are to extend deposits at depth.
This meant that, in the initial stages of
developing the BEV guideline, influential
participation came mainly from North America
and Europe.
“We did have workshops globally, but it was
more exploratory – other regions weren’t really
focusing on it yet,” Ednie said. Outside of these
two continents, concerns over electricity prices in
some regions and a lack of appreciation for the
capital and operating costs benefits of employing
these electric solutions held others back.
The situation has changed.
“Now, when we get together, diesel particulate
matter (DPM), greenhouse gas emissions and
other critical topics have become important
drivers, much more than they were during earlier
conversations,” Ednie said. “The interest is now
global.”
Evidence of that comes from the fact that
GMG, late in 2019, launched The Electric Mine
Working Group.
Leveraging existing work from the
underground BEV guidelines (there have been
two published versions with preparations in
motion for a third), the new group aims to
accelerate the advancement and adoption of
electric mining technologies in underground and
surface contexts, covering electric technologies
replacing those that typically use diesel.
Key objectives for this group include
developing guidelines and sharing information
on using and testing electric technologies and
designing electric mines. This could lead to the
development of industry whitepapers, short
courses around mine electrification specifics and
benchmarking of existing diesel and BEV
equipment, Ednie said. Mine site visits are also
likely to take place at operations where
electrified equipment is already employed.
Even though the members are still in the
process of ascertaining which technologies might
play a leading role in this working group, Ednie
says all participants were quick to rule out any
technologies related to using diesel – regardless
of how ‘clean’ this diesel might end up being with
DPM removal systems.
GMG’s The Electric Mine Working Group is not
the only industry collaboration looking at new
technologies to decarbonise mining below and
above ground.
The International Council on Mining and
Metals’ (ICMM) Innovation for Cleaner, Safer
Vehicles (ICSV) program has seen 27 of the
world’s leading mining companies and 16 of the
best-known truck and mining equipment
suppliers corralled into what the ICMM refers to
as a “non-competitive space”.
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,
with the goals closely tied to introducing and
adopting the next generation of equipment.
Two of the three specific aims are relevant to
this discussion – namely:
n Introduce greenhouse gas emission-free
surface mining vehicles by 2040; and
n Minimise the operational impact of diesel
exhaust by 2025.
The ICSV program offers a “safe space for the
OEMs and members to work openly in a non-
competitive environment”, Sarah Bell, Director,
Health, Safety and Product Stewardship for the
ICMM, told IM in December. The aim is not to
come up with “preferred technologies” but define
the “functional and operational pathways required
to meet the ambitions set”, she explained.
As the ICSV timelines indicate, the technology
to decarbonise above and below ground is at
various stages of maturity.
Bell explained: “The DPM working group have
recognised that, in the case of the DPM ambition,
‘the future is already here, it’s just unevenly
distributed’.”
MARCH 2020 | International Mining 11