CANADIAN TECHNOLOGY
ABB on why Canada remains a hotbed of mining technology innovation
Two projects in Canada illustrate how electrification technologies are being deployed to great effect to reduce CO 2 emissions , limit energy consumption and optimise productivity from battery electric and hybrid haul trucks , as Mehrzad Ashnagaran , Nic Beutler and Sachin Jari from ABB told IM .
“ Climate change is a global challenge , so it follows that reducing CO 2 emissions in line with treaties such as the Glasgow Climate Pact and the Paris Agreement requires concerted global action from business , government and wider society . All industry sectors , including mining , are beginning to recognise that global warming is bigger than any single technology , company or administration . Collaboration and knowledge sharing between all industry stakeholders – mining operators , OEMs and technology vendors such as ABB – will fuel innovation , incentivise investment , and ultimately enable mining companies to optimise production and revenue while reducing their carbon footprint . Meeting the climate challenge requires new ways of working . Operators now require standardised , vendor-agnostic solutions – built around alliances of key technical suppliers and OEMs – that evolve over time and offer improved ROI . For technology vendors , this may entail making more of their products and services open source to improve collaboration , particularly early in a project ’ s lifecycle .”
This transition is being driven by industry 4.0 in the shape of digital , automation and electrification technologies such as artificial intelligence , the internet of things ( IoT ) and data analytics , enabling miners to make smarter business decisions that drive business value and improve sustainability . This spirit of collaboration is central to a ground-breaking project involving ABB and Amazon Web Services ( AWS ). Together with Canadian mining EV drivetrain developer MEDATech , ABB and AWS are accelerating the adoption of new , sustainable technologies in mining by creating solutions for digitally integrated , all-electric operations to help meet industry goals on net-zero emissions .
" Mining is responsible for 4-7 % of greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions globally , and limiting pollution from heavy trucks and machinery – particularly during open-pit mining projects – is now a priority Pumping a greater amount of energy into battery electric vehicles ( BEVs ) in a shorter timeframe will give mine operators the opportunity to charge their fleet of haul vehicles during existing working cycles , reduce downtime compared with diesel trucks , and optimise scheduling and planning ." ABB says its Ability™ eMine FastCharge is the fastest and only fully automated charging system for mining haul trucks offering up to 600 kW of power , resulting in multiple productivity and cost benefits .”
“ There remains a bottleneck to the adoption of high-power charging infrastructure , however . Battery technology – incorporating the battery unit , the connector from the charger to the truck , and the pin socket on the vehicle- is not sufficiently advanced to receive higher currents specified by the battery property known as the C-rate . For example , a 150 kWh battery needs a minimum C-rate of four to be able to receive a charge at 600 kW .”
The project with AWS and MEDATech directly addresses this challenge . The ABB Ability™ Operations Management System has been integrated with MEDATech ’ s cloud data collection system on AWS . Telemetry data , including battery state and speed of charge , has been transmitted in real time from MEDATech ’ s first-ever 100 % electric haul truck – paired with ABB ’ s fast charging pilot solution , ABB Ability™ eMine FastCharge – while ensuring data security using AWS ’ s IoT services . The team used the data gathered to perform a real-time test during MINExpo in Las Vegas , US , in September 2021 . The collaborative project is the first time FastCharge will undergo proof-of-concept testing in a mine environment . Teams from ABB , MEDATech and AWS are currently collecting and analysing vehicle data , with the ultimate goals of implementing the system in a real mine ,
boosting BEV charging power still further , optimising usage and truck operation , thus facilitating the adoption of BEVs in industries that operate heavy machinery .
Robert Rennie , President MEDATech , said that MEDATech Engineering ’ s belief has always been that battery systems will not be able to reach their full potential to provide as much of the “ big picture ” solution to global CO 2 reductions without the successful integration of High Powered Charging technology into the work cycle . This belief has been with MEDATech from the very start and it continues to drive the company ’ s thinking with respect to its research and development efforts . MEDATech see this effort and collaboration with ABB as critical to their success in providing solutions to industry that can effectively produce while at the same time eliminate CO 2 emissions .
The partnership with MEDATech is just one of several high-profile ABB pipeline projects in Canada . ABB is also collaborating directly with Copper Mountain Mining to provide a complete haul truck , trolley assist solution for its Copper Mountain mine near Princeton in British Columbia . It is estimated that the initial phase of the trolley assist system will reduce carbon emissions at the site by up to 7 %, and the ultimate goal is a massive 50 % reduction in CO 2 in the next five to seven years .
Canada remains one of the most mature and advanced global markets in terms of mining technology projects . The value of the country ’ s mineral production reached C $ 43.8 billion in 2020 . “ Underpinning this success is a willingness on the part of Canadian companies to take the long view when it comes to strategic investment in digital and electrification technologies that will pay dividends in the future . For example , BEVs have been used by mining companies for years , meaning they are now enjoying the benefits of first-mover advantage when it comes to emissions and energy usage , part of a wider recognition by Canadian authorities , operators and society that powering mining with renewable energy is essential if the industry is to close the loop when it comes to sustainable production . Canada was the most explored country in 2021 with a budget of C $ 2.09 billion for all stages of exploration , further proof of the country ’ s conducive legislative environment and proven ore bodies , meaning companies have confidence to make the large capital investments required to develop projects .”
The ‘ State of Play : Electrification report 2021 ’ from global management consultancy VCI reveals that 89 % of the industry executives surveyed expect mine sites will electrify in the next 20 years , while 61 %, almost two-thirds of respondents , expect the next generation of mines will be all electric . The more recent ‘ State of Play - Delivery Report 2022 ’ advises that Canada remains the first mover in the adoption of electrification equipment . “ Collaboration and knowledge sharing by all industry stakeholders and a willingness to embrace new , flexible ways of working – combined with a commitment to invest meaningfully in new technologies that reduce CO 2 emissions and energy consumption – is key to ensuring that mining companies hit their sustainability targets and play their part in limiting limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 ° C . As a technology provider with deep domain expertise in the process industry space , ABB is excited to take this journey together , with the ultimate goal of boosting the supply of critical minerals – many of which are critical to the energy transition – and creating a safer ,
ABB says its Ability™ eMine FastCharge is the fastest and only fully automated charging cleaner , more equitable system for mining haul trucks world .”
60 International Mining | APRIL 2022