WORLD PROSPECTS
before the end of this decade . Not only will this project serve as a catalyst for demand from external heavy industry customers , but it will also enable a significant reduction in emissions .” ARENA CEO , Darren Miller , said the project would help reduce emissions in one of Australia ’ s most carbon intensive industries . “ ARENA is working to reduce emissions from Australia ’ s heavy industry , with heavy haulage high on the priority list for the mining sector . Heavy haulage for remote mine sites contributes around a quarter of the mining industry ’ s emission and is considered a hard to abate sector , so we ’ re investing in the technologies that will be part of the solution ."
The funding has been awarded under the Australian Government ’ s Industrial Transformation Stream , part of the Powering the Regions Fund . This A $ 400 million program aims to support emissions reduction at existing industrial facilities in regional Australia . The project is the next stage of fast charger development for Fortescue , building on an existing 3 MW prototype . Once developed , the fast charger will be installed , demonstrated and tested at Fortescue ’ s Hazelmere and Christmas Creek mine sites .
“ If the fast charger can be successfully validated at the operational Christmas Creek mine site , we ’ d like to see the technology widely deployed across Australia ’ s resources industry ,” Miller said . “ These are the kinds of challenges ARENA is looking to address through the Industrial Transformation Stream .”
The fast charger will be developed with global charging system standardisation in mind , ensuring compatibility with any equipment that meets the connector standard across mining , rail , and other heavy industry applications . Australian iron ore mining produces roughly 5 Mt of CO 2 each year due to fleet diesel consumption . Pathways to decarbonising mine operations are currently limited by a lack of commercially available solutions on the market .
Fortescue Zero Chief Executive Officer , Ellie Coates , said : “ These innovative chargers are
designed to be a safe , rugged , high power and scalable fast charging solution for multiple different vehicle applications .
“ Leveraging our world-class capability in battery and charging solutions from motorsport , the fast chargers have been developed for the challenging conditions of the Pilbara . Equipped with robotic connection options , they will be able to power Fortescue ’ s future 240-t Liebherr T 264 battery electric trucks in just 30 minutes .” Preliminary testing is currently underway , with the project due to be completed in late 2025 . https :// www . fortescue . com
Intramotev battery-electric rail milestone at Carmeuse calcium carbonate mine
Intramotev , the technology company building battery-electric railcar retrofits , has started operating its TugVolt technology at Carmeuse America ’ s calcium carbonate mine in Cedarville , Michigan .
This milestone , captured on video , makes it the world ’ s first independently driven batteryelectric railcar in revenue service , according to the company . With support from the Michigan Mobility Funding Program , Intramotev will deploy a total of three TugVolt battery-electric railcars at the Cedarville site . The deployment is estimated to eliminate up to 55,000 gallons ( 208,198 litres ) of diesel consumption and 617 tons ( 560 t ) of vehicle-level CO 2 emissions .
“ As Intramotev continues to serve customers across the country , we ’ re excited to share a
Epiroc has just released RCS 5.7 , the new update to Epiroc ’ s Rig Control System , RCS 5 . Since its release in 2019 , RCS 5 has delivered advanced safety and interlock features and a flexible platform to add new functionalities without major machine overhauls . Whether operating drills manually with options like AutoDrill and AutoLevel or autonomously , Epiroc says RCS 5 empowers operators to optimise performance and safety .
The new updated Automatic Bit Changer introduces Teleremote support , allowing operators to change bits safely from the control room . With an improved interface and refined controller tolerances , this feature enhances reliability and ensures smoother operation , glimpse of our technology in action ,” Tim Luchini , Intramotev ’ s CEO , “ Collaborating with a world-class partner like Carmeuse Americas brings us closer to achieving our mission of decarbonising mining and steel transportation .”
Jeff Bittner , Senior VP of Operations at Carmeuse , said : “ We ’ re excited to partner with Intramotev to deploy their TugVolt technology . This partnership represents an incredible
Epiroc rolls out RCS 5.7 with important new functionalities
boosting overall performance and versatility . The AutoDrill 2 update brings significant advancements to rotary and DTH operations . Upgraded air controls , refined collaring , and improved hole cleaning result in higher accuracy and efficiency , delivering consistent , high-quality results for every drill .
Operators can now also manage TUM codes remotely through the LinkOA application . This innovation allows real-time synchronisation between the office and drills , reducing operator workload and improving accuracy in time accounting .
“ RCS 5.7 drives the future of automated rigs with unmatched performance and value . These updates to our Rig Control System RCS 5 opportunity to increase our efficiency , decrease our carbon footprint , and keep our workers safe and focused on what they do best through adoption of emerging digital technologies . It ’ s a win-win for everyone involved .”
TugVolt is a proprietary kit that can retrofit / upfit existing rail cars to become batteryelectric . It can decouple to independently service first- and last-mile legs , providing the type of flexibility that , the company says , will allow the system to more readily compete with trucking . The Carmeuse deployment is the latest in a year of major announcements from Intramotev , including a $ 14 million Series A fundraise , a deployment at Iron Senergy ’ s Cumberland Mine , and a switching agreement with freight carrier Eagle Drayage . https :// intramotev . com
continue to elevate efficiency and productivity in mining operations ,” said Carla Chaname , Product Manager . www . epiroc . com
8 International Mining | JANUARY 2025