WORLD PROSPECTS
Sandvik retains platform BEV approach
Sandvik ’ s aim to electrify the underground mining space have been gaining traction over recent years , with single machine trials and deployments that typified the early stages of its mission now replaced by fleet-wide agreements that , if not already in operation , will be starting up underground in the years to come .
As with all transitions , the electric one has not been easy . There have been teething issues along the way ; whether that is equipping batteries for the harsh nature of an underground mines , educating employees about best practice maintenance and operations of this equipment , or facing an onslaught of questions about potential battery fires witnessed in passenger vehicles via YouTube .
Just how much traction the company has been gaining was made clear late last year during its Capital Markets Day event . Here , the company outlined that battery-electric vehicles accounted for 15 % of all load and haul orders in the year to the end of October . On top of that , it displayed an impressive pie chart showing that , from January-October 2023 , Sandvik had won more than 75 % of orders for battery-electric equipment .
These numbers do not factor in the cableelectric loaders the company has been selling for decades , plus the underground battery-electric drilling equipment that trams on battery power at mining operations across the globe . For all this positive momentum , battery-electric does not make sense for everyone … yet .
IM has documented a series of both dieselelectric and hybrid diesel-electric LHD sales in Australia recently , with at least one of these sales following the trial of battery-electric equipment . Sandvik has made clear that it will have something in store for miners in transition between diesel and fully-electric operation , stating last year that it was developing dieselelectric trucks and loaders for the industry . Unlike some of its peers , Sandvik is deliberately building this offering with fullyelectric operations in mind . “ Currently we are developing diesel-electric solutions both for trucks and loaders ,” Juha Virta , VP Sales and Marketing for the Load and Haul Division within Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions , told IM . “ We aim to maximise the customer value by utilising modular design in our equipment : battery and diesel-electric equipment will have commonalities eg in drivelines , hydraulics , electrics and spare parts .”
This approach will make it easier for customers to transfer from diesel-electric equipment to battery-electric equipment , Virta says . The “ commonalities ” could also prove beneficial in developing the skill sets required from service personnel .
“ Energy storage elements are also included in our development portfolio , enabling , for example , hybrid solutions , delivering positive results in the area of fuel consumption and the equipment performance ,” he added .
This is all part of an increasingly diverse offering from the OEM that Brian Huff , Vice President of New Technologies for the Load and Haul Division within Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions , mentioned during the Capital Markets Day .
He said : “ We ’ re taking the technology of our battery-operated drills , loaders and trucks , and expanding that with diesel-electric using the same motors , inverters and componentry in a modular approach that allows us to offer diesel solutions with the same electrified driveline from our battery-operated equipment .”
The developments the company is making as part of this project are being displayed on the TH66X diesel-electric demonstrator – a Toro diesel-powered truck that has been retrofitted
with an electric driveline – that customers first saw in Turku , Finland , in 2022 . This machine is currently in factory tests , according to Virta , saying that component validation and a variety of simulations were also being run .
“ The program also includes a significant amount of testing in a real underground mine environment ,” he added . “ Developing new technology and ensuring its performance takes some time , and sufficient and careful tests are extremely important – we are in a very good progress with that currently .”
For this , Sandvik is using not only its Test Mine in Tampere , Finland , but also the Pyhäsalmi mine . Sandvik is using the latter operation – owned by First Quantum Minerals – as part of its involvement in the Callio consortium : a group of companies focused on developing ‘ FutureMINE – the future digital test mine project ’.
One of the other participants in this consortium is Byrnecut , who has been partnering with Sandvik based on a recent LinkedIn post by Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions .
“ We have long traditions with working in close collaboration with different customers , and that will continue to be Sandvik approach also going forward ,” Virta said when asked about this partnership . “ Byrnecut is one of our customers and a very important partner for us , and , along with Barminco , will be one of the first companies to test the TH66X in the field .”
Considering the majority of the team focused on this diesel-electric demonstrator are based in Turku , one would expect this facility to have significant influence on the commercial offering that follows .
The facility is undergoing an expansion focused on incorporating an additional 7,000 sq . m of production and storage space previously occupied by Tunturi , a manufacturer of bicycles and fitness equipment . The whole of the plant for load and haul equipment is also set to be enhanced and modernised .
Petri Liljaranta , Supply Director for the Load and Haul Division within Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions , says the expansion is progressing as planned with all but a few of the company ’ s finishing functions relocated according to its plans . “ This final part of the project is expected to be finished in the June quarter ,” he added .
One of the expansion project ’ s targets was to increase the manufacturing space at its facilities , and this target has already been achieved , with the company well equipped to respond to growing volume needs in the coming years , according to Liljaranta .
“ Based on current views , the battery-electric vehicle manufacturing capacity is expected to meet expected market demand during 2024 ,” he said . https :// www . rocktechnology . sandvik
8 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2024