BATTERY AND ELECTRIC MACHINES
Decision time for decarbonisation
The first of Epiroc ’ s battery-electric load and haul fleet set for an automation upgrade is the Scooptram ST14 Battery loader
With the industry ' s Scope 1 & 2 and net-zero mining goals now down in writing , mining companies are looking to the technology and equipment space for the action to back up their words , Dan Gleeson
Close to two-and-a-half years after Borden , the mining sector ’ s all-electric concept flagship mine , achieved commercial production there has been a seismic shift in the industry ’ s perception and understanding of electrification and decarbonisation .
The accelerated uptake of these ‘ green ’ solutions has surprised some , with the equipment sector able to leave the ‘ first to be second ’ cliches at the door when entering procurement and deployment discussions with the mining sector .
This trend has , no doubt , been influenced by the slew of ‘ net zero ’ targets the industry has set for itself , with the most ambitious looking to transition operations away from fossil fuel use by 2030 . When factoring in the average life of mining equipment , this means any current orders will have a bearing on achieving those targets .
Yet the full contingent of equipment to decarbonise mining operations is not available on the wider market as of today . The expertise needed to service them is also lagging demand . Miners , cognisant of investor pressures to ‘ green ’ their operations on the way to producing commodities that can electrify their own and other industries , are looking to trial , order and co-develop next-generation green machines , but the METS sector – burgeoned by supply chain issues , skills shortages , COVID and an understandably conservative mindset – are struggling to supply them . machines that fit their future operational blueprint .
In the case of the Charge on Innovation Challenge , this has seen iron ore majors – and rivals – BHP , Rio Tinto and Vale – guided by Austmine – come together to solve an industry dilemma .
A global competition for technology innovators to develop new concepts for large-scale haul truck electrification systems to help significantly cut emissions from surface mine operations and unlock safety , productivity and operational improvements was the brief ; a brief the industry has bought into .
In addition to another 18 mining companies joining the three founding patrons , over 350 companies from across 19 industries registered their interest as vendors , with more than 80 organisations submitting expressions of interest
After the patrons have uncovered the Charge on Innovation Challenge concepts viewed as desirable and able to serve the industry as standard charging interfaces , OEMs are then expected to get involved to assess a potential commercial offering .
But these concepts are unlikely to solve the entire needs of industry .
Whether it is underground or on surface , with 291 t haul trucks or 4 t loaders , or charged off instable grids or renewable-backed infrastructure , a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to work . Diesel power may have previously provided a silver bullet to solve all operational and economic challenges faced at mine sites , but , when it comes to electrification , no one technology has yet ticked these same boxes as well as the ones under the ‘ sustainability ’ column .
Diversity of thought
As the major haul truck OEMs closely watch developments with the Charge on Innovation Challenge , they are , at the same time , signing haulage decarbonisation agreements with major miners .
Caterpillar , last year , announced a partnership with BHP to develop and deploy zero-emissions mining trucks at its sites to reduce operational greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions , with a focus on battery-powered trucks .
It also signed a deal with Rio Tinto to advance the development of the manufacturer ’ s future 220 t 793 zero-emissions autonomous haul truck , including the validation of Caterpillar ’ s emerging zero-emissions technology , with deployment expected at the miner ’ s iron ore operations in the Pilbara .
This is on top of plans to deploy batteryelectric and autonomous haulage technology at Newmont operations , Cripple Creek and Victor ( USA ) and Tanami ( Australia ).
Industry action
Such a backdrop has led to miners collaborating – an action they are not renowned for .
Programs such as the International Council on Mining and Metals ’ Initiative for Cleaner and Safer Vehicles , The Electric Mine Consortium , NEXGEN SIMS and the Charge on Innovation Challenge , among others , have seen major mining companies come together in pursuit of
Komatsu has come up with a power-agnostic truck concept for a haulage vehicle that can run on a variety of power sources including diesel-electric , electric , trolley ( wired ), battery power and hydrogen fuel cells
26 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2022