BATTERY AND ELECTRIC MACHINES
Charging ahead
A key trend , mine electrification is accelerating at a rapid pace across the globe . Dan Gleeson checks in with some of the major players and integrators to obtain their latest ‘ green ’ developments
The new SS5 shotcrete-TM3 transmixer combination makes MacLean Engineering the only OEM able to offer fully electrified , articulated shotcrete operations purposedesigned for underground mining applications , the company claims
Every second conversation IM has engaged in over the past 12-24 months has involved the theme of mine electrification . It is no exaggeration to say the industry is putting more focus on this area than any other at the moment , realising that the market is transitioning to a place where every tonne of ore mined will be measured not just by its economic value but also by the amount of emissions that come with extracting and processing it into a saleable product .
This has changed the typical vendor-miner dynamic , with mine site operators and corporate head office representatives pushing equipment makers for more varieties of electric machines that can go faster , be charged or changed out quicker and help them achieve their ambitious corporate sustainability goals .
OEMs and service providers are struggling to keep up with such demand , knowing it is not as simple as plugging in a battery to an existing chassis and ‘ hitting play ’.
The road to electrification
Henrik Ager scored top points for a major reveal at International Mining Events ’ Electric Mine Virtual Conference back in November , with the President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions confirming the equipment maker is working on developing a 65-t payload battery-electric truck .
Topping the largest battery-electric truck in the mining OEM ’ s range , the 50-t payload Z50 developed by Sandvik ’ s Artisan Vehicle Systems , the new machine is likely to find a home in Australia ; a market where underground bulk mining methods require large capacity trucks to operate on ramps but where operations are governed by strict diesel particulate regulations .
Speaking to IM in late January , Brian Huff , Vice President of Technology for Artisan , said a new 65-t payload machine would , most likely , follow a similar blueprint to the Z50 design .
“ A 65-t truck , which is on the plan as Henrik announced , is not going to be that much heavier than the 50-t truck ,” he said . “ These are incremental size increases . It is likely to be largely the same from a topology sense .”
The company is looking to scale up battery capacities for use in larger trucks ( the Z50 is currently fitted with a 354-kWh primary pack ), but Huff said the ability to changeout batteries quickly somewhat negates the need to fit bigger payload vehicles with massive battery cells that keep the vehicle running for longer .
“ As the time to swap batteries decreases , the impact of battery energy on the machine lessens ,” Huff said . “ What is another five minutes of downtime to swap a battery versus having the battery running a little longer ?
“ The more performance we can get out of smaller capacity battery packs , then the lower the total cost is for the client . At the same time , there is no negative effect on productivity from a tonnes per hour standpoint .”
The company is getting closer to this fiveminute battery swap milestone with the help of
its AutoConnect tool . Originally released for the company ’ s LH518B 18 t loader , AutoConnect automatically connects and disconnects the battery pack to the machine .
Sandvik explained : “ Aside from unplugging and plugging in the charger , the operator doesn ’ t need to leave the cabin , which saves minutes on the swapping procedure and decreases effort and risk in the swapping process .”
A retrofit version of this tool for the company ’ s Z50 truck is already being lined up , according to Huff .
While a 65-t machine equipped with AutoConnect may be some way off , a closely matched loader in the form of the LH518B is already appearing underground at mine sites .
Huff confirmed the first LH518B unit off the production line is heading to North America , with multiple units scheduled to arrive in Australia later in 2021 .
One of these will be going to Kirkland Lake Gold ’ s Fosterville mine in Victoria , as Rob McLean , the operation ’ s Chief Mining Engineer , confirmed back in November at the IMARC Online event .
There is a lower payload Sandvik electric machine making an impact at one mine in Canada .
The 14-t payload LH514BE gets its power from an electric cable during normal mucking operations but uses battery power for relocating to another production area . The battery also provides a boost to ramp speeds , which traditionally have been the weak spot of electric
8 International Mining | MARCH 2021