NORDIC FOCUS evaluated by Racoon in relevant environments .
While still early days for the project , IM understands Racoon has already had discussions with potential mining company customers about using this new filter media .
SSAB Zero , a product made of recycled steel and produced with fossil-free electricity and biogas , will be used in Epiroc ’ s battery-electric range of underground mine trucks and loaders
world ’ s first underground mine truck made using fossil-free steel from SSAB , which is set to be available on a commercial scale during 2026 .
SSAB Zero has zero fossil carbon emission
( less than 0.05 kg CO 2e emissions per kg steel in Scope 1 and 2 calculations ) in operations , including purchased energy and transportation . The quality and properties of SSAB Zero will be equal to the steel currently used in Epiroc ’ s products , Epiroc says .
Racoon on the recycling RISE
Another OEM supplier based in Sweden , Racoon Miljöfilter AB , is out to use recycled materials to manufacture air filters for the cabins of mobile equipment .
Racoon ’ s filters are , the company says , able to withstand vibrations , moisture and freezing temperatures to deliver effective protection from particles and gases using microwave-based technology . Such qualities are particularly useful in underground mines in the Nordic region .
The company ’ s products , which typically fit into the existing footprint equipment
Along with partners from Oppigårds AB , ShareTex and MoRe Research , Racoon is exploring the potential of using fossil fuel raw material alternatives to manufacture its air filters . Photo : Jerk Rönnols manufacturers have built for filters inside the cabin , could soon be revolutionised thanks to a project being steered by RISE , Sweden ' s National Research Institute .
Along with partners from Oppigårds AB , ShareTex and MoRe Research , Racoon is exploring the potential of using fossil fuel raw material alternatives to manufacture its air filters .
The project aims to develop sustainable alternatives based on the reuse of textile materials and residual products from brewery processes , including the entire value chain from raw material producers to end users .
RISE says : “ Recycled textile materials are a so far underutilised resource ; largely because the recycling processes are still under development and also because areas of use have not been established .”
In this project , cellulose material produced via ShareTex ’ s process will be used , where the fibres are purified from textiles via a unique method using spent grain from the brewing process associated with beer production . This residual product , which is annually produced in large quantities , could potentially be utilised to make the raw materials used to construct the specialised air filters that Racoon produces .
“ In a previous project , RISE has shown that combinations of brewers ’ spent grain from Oppigårds Bryggeri AB and cellulose fibres from paper pulp can produce structurally sustainable fibre materials on a laboratory scale , where the particles of brewers ’ spent grain form an important component for the strength and durability of the material .”
As part of the project , the combination of cellulose from textile materials and brewers ’ spent grain will be investigated and refined . Based on these results , scale-up of the materials will be carried out in a foaming test bed at MoRe Research in Örnsköldsvik , Sweden . There , semicontinuous production will be tested and materials in sizes useful for the industry will be produced . These materials will be tested and
Volvo CE ’ s Arvika expansion
As part of its ambition towards industry transformation through sustainable solutions , Volvo Construction Equipment ( Volvo CE ) recently announced an investment into the production of electric wheel loaders from its plant in Arvika , Sweden .
The SEK65 million ( circa- $ 6.3 million ) investment from Volvo Group will allow Arvika , which specialises in the production of medium and large wheel loaders , to expand its facilities with a new building and allow for the phased introduction of new electric wheel loaders .
It is not only a milestone in the plant ’ s almost 140-year history , but a significant moment for Volvo CE and its determination to be completely fossil free by 2040 , the company said . It is also a step forward in its ambition for 35 % of its machines sold to be electric by 2030 .
Coming soon after an announcement to invest in electric haulers from the company ’ s production facility in Braås , Sweden , the announcement shows Volvo CE is committed to achieving more sustainable solutions for customers across all its product lines . These announcements are part of an investment strategy that allows Volvo CE to advance electric solutions across its production facilities , including also the Konz facility in Germany , Belley in France , and Changwon in South Korea , where other electric machines are made .
Site Manager , Mikael Liljestrand , said : “ It is more than 40 years since we last invested in a new building and what better reason now than to invest in our future , our planet and the next generation . We know that this is not only important to our customers and stakeholders , who rightly have high expectations on us , but it is also close to our hearts to be part of something bigger in building our future .”
Volvo CE has already introduced compact electric wheel loaders to the global market with the L20 Electric and L25 Electric wheel loaders . Together with the ECR25 Electric , ECR18 Electric and EC18 Electric compact excavators and the mid-size EC230 Electric excavator , Volvo CE has one of the largest electric ranges on the market .
Thanks to the investment , Arvika will erect a new building , approximately 1,500 sq . m , which will allow the facility to free up areas inside its assembly factory to be able to build electric wheel loaders . While it has not yet been announced which models will begin their electric transformation and exactly when , production of both electric wheel loaders and more traditional
14 International Mining | JUNE 2023