BATTERY AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The 15 t R1700XE will be Cat’s first battery-
powered underground loader
launches its eagerly awaited R1700XE 15 t battery-
powered underground loader.
The electric utility
There have been more electrified versions of
diesel-powered equipment in the utility vehicle
space than in any other segment of the
underground mining market, and it appears this is
where most mining companies start their
electrification journeys.
Safescape’s Bortana EV has been that entry
point for Kirkland Lake Gold’s Fosterville gold
mine, in Victoria, Australia.
The vehicle uses the chassis of a diesel-
powered Agrale Marruá, with 3ME Technology
supplying the system integration expertise and
component supply, and Safescape providing the
design and engineering expertise. Officially
launched last year, the Bortana EV has since made
its way to one of the world’s most profitable gold
mines for a trial.
Safescape Managing Director, Steve Durkin,
told IM that the company has learned a lot from
the trial, “with continuous tweaking of operating
software and a few hardware improvements to
facilitate maximum capability of the vehicle”.
During the three-month testing period, the
Bortana EV has been used in the roles of
“production shiftboss” and “development
shiftboss ute” and it has simulated service crew,
nipper and bomb ute cycles, Durkin explained.
The Bortana EV uses the chassis of a diesel-
powered Agrale Marruá, with 3ME Technology
supplying the system integration expertise and
component supply, and Safescape providing the
design and engineering expertise
20 International Mining | MARCH 2020
Most of these trials occurred when the
company had a 415 V onboard charger installed
and, as such, the vehicle could only be charged on
the surface, he said. “While we were able to
complete full shifts in the shiftboss role without
charging, we were unable to complete full shift
cycles for the heavier use case roles.”
Charging underground could provide a very
different dynamic, reducing the impact on the
work schedule for operators if the vehicle had a
1,000 V charger on board, Durkin said.
The company has since installed such a system,
meaning it can charge from any jumbo or pump
box installed throughout the mine, he said,
explaining that there is no longer a requirement to
stop the vehicle specifically to charge it.
“Operators are now able to place the vehicle on
charge when they park it at any suitable
opportunity throughout their shift,” he said.
The trials at Fosterville were primarily to test
whether the vehicle could achieve typical mining
duty cycles and to test two motor configurations
and charging configurations. The extreme
conditions of underground mining also enabled
Safescape to shake out a few software bugs to
improve the driving experience, Durkin said.
The company is currently talking to several
mines in Western Australia to arrange trials with
the prototype in the first half of this year, with
production vehicles starting to be delivered in the
September quarter, Durkin said.
3ME, meanwhile, has signed a distribution deal
with KESHI Group that will see its e-mobility
solutions equipped with flameproof electric
motors. The 10-year agreement comes as 3ME
continues to build its strategic position in the
mine electrification sector.
KESHI Group, through collaboration with UQM
Technologies (now Danfoss Editron), developed a
flameproof electric motor designed to meet
explosion-proof compliance, and 3ME, through its
connections with UQM Technologies over the last
10 years, was provided an introduction to the
company that 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.
Expect to hear more from 3ME Technology in
the near future, with the company set to present
at International Mining Events’ The Electric Mine
2020 conference this month and new technology
and OEM partnership updates on the cards.
Still on utility vehicles, Hermann Paus
Maschinenfabrik GmbH has been making waves
in Europe with its electrically driven MinCa 5.1 E
passenger vehicle. Debuting at the most recent
Bauma, the machine is based on the diesel-driven
MinCa 5.1 and is designed to “meet the needs of
tomorrow’s deep underground mines”.
As with all fully electric vehicles, the MinCa 5.1
E produces no exhaust emissions, reducing the
ventilation burden and improving conditions for
personnel working underground.
The MinCa 5.1 E measures 4 m x 1.95 m and can
carry a payload of approximately 1.2 t, making it
well suited for use in narrow vein mining or tunnel
construction. A 90° turn can be driven within a
roadway width of only 2.9 m – another boon for
narrow vein miners – while it can reach a speed of
up to 30 km/h on straight tracks. It can be
equipped as a passenger transporter for up to five
people with space for equipment, or as a repair
vehicle, Paus says.
With the MinCa 5.1 E’s nickel-manganese-
cobalt-oxide battery chemistry and appropriate
charging technology, the machine can be charged
to 80% of its capacity in just half an hour,
according to Paus, with the battery pack located at
the rear of the vehicle.
The Paus MinCa 5.1 E can handle inclined ramps
up to 45°
The capacity “under the hood”" can be
extended by a further 50 kWh, according to Paus.
“This gives the mines the opportunity to increase
the MinCa 5.1 E to 100 kWh capacity, enough for
an eight-hour shift even under the toughest
conditions,” it says.
It can also drive up to 20 km/h uphill, with the
high torque meaning ramps of up to 35% are no
problem, Paus said. With the optional onboard
charger, it is possible to charge at any three-phase
AC connection.
“Like all mining vehicles from Paus, the MinCa
5.1 E was specifically designed and built for use in
underground mining,” the company said. “The
thickness of the materials used are specially
dimensioned for underground operation to ensure
a long working life. Safety aspects such as the
ROPS/FOPS driver's cab are a given. Even the
planetary rigid axles cannot be compared with
adapted road vehicles – they are much more
durable. The MinCa 5.1 E also features a four-
wheel drive system to handle rough roads and
inclined ramps up to 45°.”
Earlier this year, Canada-based Marcotte was
amalgamated with Timberland Equipment Ltd,
with the Ontario-based group inheriting a range of
BEVs. This includes the electrically-driven RAM 40
platform with cassette system that is able to lower
the capital cost of fleets. This platform features