BATTERY AND ELECTRIC MACHINES
not only haulage operations , but also some loading applications .
He explained : “ Take a block cave operation , for example . Here you may be mining on a certain level for years , if not decades . Those mines , when it comes to automation , may be hindered by the need to carry out battery swapping as you ‘ lose ’ a loader from the operation for this duration . If you strategically install a short segment of the trolley , which you drive by at pretty much every cycle , the loader can connect to the line , recharge the battery and then go off-trolley to continue operating .
“ You would then have a great setup for both zero emission and automated loading operations .”
There are plenty of other examples of applications where this reduced cost and flexible ‘ next generation ’ automated battery-trolley solution could work , as Australia-based BluVein , on the trolley side , is looking to prove up ( see Uncovering the magic section ).
At the same time as Epiroc is working on the intricacies of fully automating these electric machines , it is also seeing more mining companies look to charge them via renewable means .
This is nothing new in jurisdictions where most of the grid power is from hydro generation or other renewable energy , but , in off-grid mines , it will see electrons generated from solar and wind installations utilised . Ivanplats , for example , recently said it planned to recharge its battery-electric Boomer M2 drill rigs and Scooptram ST14 Battery LHDs at the Platreef project in South Africa by solar photovoltaic cells . The Epiroc team does not foresee any issues with miners charging its machines off renewablebacked microgrids if the voltage and frequency are at the right levels . In fact , its battery-charging philosophy may help ease some of the strain that comes with this process .
“ We design our batteries so you can charge them slowly if needed ,” Boudreault said . “ You should aim to charge your battery at a rate that is just a little bit faster than you are depleting your other battery in a swap application . That is to have as low an impact on your grid as possible .
“ A quick charge is going to be very demanding for the energy infrastructure , especially during shift change and / or lunch breaks when you could have all the BEVs connected , putting a high load on your grid .
“ That is part of our philosophy and design – to have a swappable battery where you have plenty of time to charge it .”
This may be tested in some of the larger payload trucks Epiroc is looking to electrify , as Boudreault hinted at when asked what the company ’ s priorities are for extending its batteryelectric offering beyond the existing solutions it has on the market .
He replied : “ Typically , the larger the truck , the harder it works . We definitely have to think smart when it comes to the MT65 ( 65-t-payload ) truck in an electric version . How will it look ? Will it use batteries ? Will it be trolley ? Will it be a combination ? How do we tackle contractors ’ needs ? We are looking at all the different scenarios and trying to address the different needs , but it is unlikely to be one solution that meets them all .”
Svedlund confirmed Epiroc ’ s plans to electrify its entire underground fleet by 2025 was on track , while also saying that , on surface , the company will leverage multiple solutions , including batteries , to electrify its fleet by its 2030 deadline .
At the same time , Epiroc does not intend to leave behind customers that have already spent big on diesel-powered loading and haulage fleets .
In addition to the ST1030 and ST14 battery retrofit projects the company has embarked on , it also has plans to convert 32.6 t payload MT436B diesel trucks to create a matching battery-electric pair with either the ST14 or ST1030 .
Anders Y Johansson , Product Line Manager , Midlife Services and Custom Engineered Solutions ( CES ), from Epiroc ’ s Parts & Services division , confirmed this was just the start for the company ’ s battery-electric retrofit plans .
“ The roadmap to 2025 will include a full range of zero-emission underground equipment , where the company is working together to be able to meet this goal for not only new equipment but also for conversions ,” he told IM . “ We are trying to support customers looking to make this transition from both a capex and opex perspective with new equipment and conversion options .”
A highly-valued debut
It is a 65-t battery-electric machine next on the agenda for Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions ’ new BHEV business unit .
The TH665B will leverage the learnings from the company ’ s development of the TH550B ( pictured ) and the AutoSwap and AutoConnect functions that allow a truck ’ s on-board battery pack to be switched out in as little as three minutes
This machine , to be named the Sandvik TH665B , is due to be launched this year , making it the largest battery-electric underground truck on the market .
It will leverage the learnings from the company ’ s development of the TH550B and the AutoSwap and AutoConnect functions that allow a truck ’ s on-board battery pack to be switched out in as little as three minutes . IM understands the truck will – like other Sandvik battery-electric machines – come equipped with an Artisan™ battery pack , alongside an electric driveline able to deliver at least 540 kW of continuous power and 6,400 Nm of continuous torque output .
A prototype machine is currently being tested at the Sandvik facility in California ahead of the launch .
Speaking at MINExpo 2021 , Henrik Ager , President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions , said : “[ The TH665B ] is a truck that the mass hard-rock mines are looking for . This will really be a very popular machine for many operators , especially in Australia and markets where these big machines are highly valued .”
On the battery-electric front , only Sandvik ’ s Toro LH514BE cable-electric / battery hybrid loader currently has automation capabilities , but Ville Laine , Vice President of Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions ’ new BHEV business unit , told IM that the company was already looking to add this functionality to these vehicles , with automation of the battery-swap process also being worked on .
He added : “ We just released AutoConnect at MINExpo for the TH550B , which was a big step . This function , on top of AutoSwap , has been designed with full automation in mind . This includes the battery-swapping element .”
30 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2022