WORLD PROSPECTS
CMP to trial dual fuel
Chilean iron ore miner Compania Minera del Pacífico ( CMP ) together with ENGIE Chile have signed an alliance that they say represents a major step in the decarbonisation of mining : the first pilot of haul trucks in Chile powered by natural gas in the form of LNG . The project contemplates the modification of two trucks , over a period of six months , from a diesel combustion system to a dual fuel system , which will be mostly operated with natural gas . The truck type was not given but an accompanying image showed a Caterpillar 793F which is the main truck type used at the operation .
With this technological innovation , the trucks will see reduced CO 2 emissions by between 20 and 25 % and PM emissions by more than 30 %, maintaining their current performance , and it will also mean economic savings for the mining operation . There is already international dual fuel mining truck experience – mines in Mexico , Turkey , Russia , Australia , USA , Canada , among others – that have showed the same results . “ This piloting is key in the process of changing to cleaner energies . The hydrogen route is not yet available , so we will incorporate
Leading Australia-based contract miner Byrnecut is embracing the many benefits of battery-electric vehicles ( BEVs ) by purchasing six Sandvik batterypowered loaders with AutoMine ® for use at OZ Minerals ’ operations in South Australia .
Under a deal with Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions , Byrnecut will take delivery of the LHDs in 2023 and 2024 for use at the Prominent Hill copper , gold and silver mine , south-west of Coober Pedy , and the Carrapateena copper and gold mine , north of Port Augusta . Byrnecut has been engaged by OZ Minerals to provide underground mining services at the mines and currently has a fleet of Sandvik LH621i loaders equipped with autonomous solutions operating on both sites .
“ We ’ re excited to be leading the way with battery-electric vehicles in Australia by putting
LNG and while we reduce our impact , we will learn to operate with gaseous fuels . We believe that we are on the right path , taking concrete steps towards decarbonisation ,” said Claudia Monreal , Deputy Manager of CMP Development . To arrive at the plan , CMP worked for a year researching different motor conversion solutions . Finally , a laboratory test was carried out on a mining truck engine that allowed validation of the expected results in terms of performance , which marked the initial catalyst to be able to offer this type of solution to mining .
“ This project marks a milestone for mining in
these six Sandvik loaders into service over the next two years ,” Max Woods , Asset Manager for Byrnecut , said . “ Not only will the use of electric vehicles significantly improve the working environment underground , but it will also help our customers to work toward their emissions reduction goals – something that is increasingly important in the mining sector .”
Woods says the purchase of the electric loaders is part of Byrnecut ’ s commitment to explore and embrace new technologies that make its operations safer , more efficient and more sustainable .
“ Eliminating emissions from loaders from the underground environment helps us create a better workplace , as does AutoMine technology that enables operators to work from comfortable remote control rooms ,” he said . Another major benefit to Byrnecut is the anticipated increased performance the new loaders could provide , Sandvik says .
The company worked closely with Sandvik prior to purchase to model various application scenarios , including both manual and automated operation .
“ We ’ re expecting the loaders to provide greater throughput in both manual and automated modes while delivering a similar total cost of ownership per tonne delivered to their predecessors ,” Woods says . The
Chile and is a concrete action that demonstrates the commitment of both ENGIE Chile and CMP to decarbonisation . In addition , it is in line with our purpose of acting to accelerate a carbon-neutral economy with mature technological solutions available today , economically competitive , and that leverage the fulfillment of the goals proposed by Chile regarding climate change in its Level Determined Contribution . National ( NDC ) to 2030 ,” explained Andrés Peragallo , Gas Product Manager of ENGIE Chile .
The pilot project – which will be carried out at CMP ’ s Los Colorados mine located in the Atacama region – is in a first stage of development and implementation that includes the importation of the necessary equipment , the conversion of the trucks to dual fuel , the implementation of the LNG refuelling station on site and , finally , the formalisation of this initiative before the Superintendency of Electricity and Fuels ( SEC ). With an eye on the expected results , this technological innovation could not only be applied to the entire fleet of CMP mining extraction trucks and other support equipment , but also to other medium and large mining sites in Chile . www . cmp . cl ; https :// engie-energia . cl
Byrnecut to use Sandvik 18 t BEVs at OZ Minerals ops
new Sandvik loaders are also expected to bring major cost savings across their entire lifecycles , according to Woods . They are likely to require fewer replacement parts than their predecessors , and servicing is also more efficient and simpler .
Sandvik 18-t battery loaders are the most compact on the market , according to the OEM . The powerful electric motors , innovative electric driveline and the smaller tyres on the rear compared with the front , result in a small machine size , high payload with good visibility and unmatched speeds .
Battery machines produce no underground exhaust emissions and significantly less heat than traditional diesel engines , supporting the mines to reach sustainability targets , through reduced CO2 emissions .
Andrew Dawson , Business Line Manager for Load & Haul at Sandvik , praised Byrnecut for helping to pioneer the use of BEVs in Australia . “ The first Sandvik battery-electric loaders only began arriving in the country about a year ago , and the interest has been extremely strong ,” he says . “ We ’ re very pleased that Byrnecut and Oz Minerals see the benefits of this technology and is demonstrating it to the rest of the industry . We have always had an excellent working relationship with Byrnecut and look forward to cooperating with them throughout the roll-out and beyond .” www . byrnecut . com ; https :// www . rocktechnology . sandvik
6 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2022