NORDIC FOCUS
The SEK65 million investment from Volvo Group will allow Volvo CE ’ s Arvika facility , 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
wheel loaders fitted with combustion engines will continue for now on the same production line .
Building work is set to begin later this year , with further announcements due on when production will begin .
Scania ’ s electric truck pilot
Over the border in Norway , Scania has delivered the country ’ s largest electric truck to the Verdalskalk limestone quarry in Verdal . With a total weight of 66 t , this truck will annually transport around 120,000 t of lime from the quarry to the port for shipment . The previous fossil fuel consumption on the route will be cut by 58,800 litres and CO2 emissions by 156 t , according to Scania .
“ We are very proud to be pioneers in this area ,” Ketil Aksnes , Operations Manager at Verdalskalk , said . “ With the new truck in operation , it will also mean less noise for the residents along our 20-km-long transport route .”
The truck , a P 45 with three axles and 300 kWh of battery capacity from nine batteries , is part of Scania ’ s Pilot Partner program – a collaboration with selected customers on electric transport solutions not yet introduced to the market .
Tony Sandberg , Director Pilot Partner at Scania , said : “ Scania already has a number of heavy vehicles with different development solutions ongoing , but this is the first one we are putting into operation in Norway .”
There are already over 100 electric Scania trucks on Norwegian roads , with Sandberg saying the country is a pioneer in terms of transport solutions with a focus on reducing climate impact .
Rune Wuttudal , at Scania in Norway , said : “ With a long and trusted collaboration with Verdalskalk , it came naturally to contact them to offer an opportunity to test an electric truck for their transport needs . Verdalskalk has always challenged us to find good and alternative solutions , and to reduce emissions have been on the agenda for many years .”
The truck will be charged at Verdalskalk ’ s facility at the port , and it will be maintained at Norsk Scania ’ s workshop in Verdal .
A new performance curve
The talk around Hägglunds ’ booth at the most recent CONEXPO-CON / AGG 2023 in Las Vegas was all about taking the company to the “ Quantum ” realm .
The company teased the arrival of this new range of hydraulic motors in the leadup to the event , and then revealed more details from the exhibition floor .
Hägglunds says it is entering a daring space with the Hägglunds Quantum range of hydraulic motors , doing away with “ established barriers ” and combining torque and speed with “ previously unthinkable efficiency ”.
For direct drives in heavy-duty applications , such as mining , the Quantum range creates a powerful new reality , according to the company .
The Hägglunds Quantum range , it says , shapes proven strengths into an extraordinary
The Hägglunds Quantum range offers a top speed of over 150 rpm , yet it provides a sustainable maximum torque of more than 350 kNm new performance curve . It offers a top speed of over 150 rpm , yet it provides a sustainable maximum torque of more than 350 kNm . At corner power , where the two extremes meet , “ users can achieve a mind-bending 3 MW – without sacrificing compactness or efficiency ,” the company says .
Wolfram Ulrich , Vice President of Sales , Hägglunds , said : “ The Hägglunds Quantum range rewrites the rules of power density , especially when it comes to efficiency at higher speeds . By stretching the limits so far beyond previous solutions , it introduces possibilities for greener operation , mobile applications and more .”
Within the Hägglunds Quantum range are two motors with shared DNA . Hägglunds Quantum is the new name for the Hägglunds CB , which has evolved significantly over time to the point it can no longer be considered the same motor , the company says . Tweaks in design and materials have increased its efficiency and tripled its life expectancy , making it the ideal basis , Hägglunds says , for a bold new step .
That step is the Hägglunds Quantum Power , which merges a slim new connection block with this reliable foundation . Through additional ports and innovative internal design , the block enables far higher speeds while retaining full torque capacity at high efficiency , according to Hagglunds . Consequently , the Hägglunds Quantum Power can deliver high power with greater economy and sustainability than any previous solution .
“ The two parts of the Hägglunds Quantum range , Hägglunds Quantum and Hägglunds Quantum Power , create a seamless curve without gaps in speed or torque ,” Ulrich said . “ One part reflects the constant , long-term improvement that we pursue in all Hägglunds solutions . The other is a result of radical new thinking – a true quantum leap .”
Green steel options
It is not just SSAB focused on the development of green steel . Finland-based consulting and engineering firm , AFRY , is also offering its clients advice on how to lower the emissions associated with steelmaking .
AFRY provides technologically independent , innovative and sustainable solutions tailored to local and global constraints , hence it sees a multitude of avenues steelmakers could go down to achieve the ‘ green steel ’ designation .
AFRY ’ s Janne Tikka ( Head of Mining and Metals , AFRY Process Industries ), Sauli Pisilä ( Engineering Manager Mining and Metals , AFRY Process Industries Finland ), Aleksi Laukka ( Technology Manager Mining and Metals , AFRY Process Industries Finland ) and Suvi Rannantie ( Director Mining and Metals technology , AFRY
16 International Mining | JUNE 2023