Collision Avoidance Technology for All Types & Sizes of Mobile Equipment
SURFACE LOADING mine sites have already initiated their electrification efforts by converting existing diesel-driven hydraulic mining excavators in their fleet to electric drive . “ This approach is not merely a theoretical business case but is substantiated by practical examples . One such case involves three Komatsu PC8000 face shovel machines at the Barrick Lumwana copper mine in Zambia ’ s Copperbelt – a mine producing 118,000 t of copper at a cost of sales of $ 2.81 per pound . These three Komatsu machines were initially diesel driven and operated at the high-altitude Pascua Lama gold mine in Chile , situated over 5,000 m above sea level . In a significant project , these PC8000 diesel machines were dismantled , transported to Zambia , and reassembled as electric units at the Lumwana mine in 2019 . The modular design principle of the PC8000 machines facilitated the reuse of most components across all three units , except for the assemblies directly related to the conversion to electric drive .”
KGM adds that the conversion from diesel to electric drive represents a project of the scale comparable to assembling a new hydraulic mining excavator . At the Barrick Lumwana mine , each machine underwent a meticulous reassembly process spanning between 45 to 75 days per unit onsite . Collaboration between Barrick as the customer and Komatsu as the distributor and OEM proved essential in tailoring
the required new parts & assembly groups to optimise the utilisation of existing components . “ This approach , customised for each machine rebuild , aims to minimise both time and resources required for the conversion while ensuring top-tier quality and productivity of the machine . Notably , particular attention was paid to considerations when reusing assembly groups such as the lubrication and hydraulic oil coolers , requiring adjustments to cable harnesses , connectors , and machine software settings to align with the newly fitted electric drive .”
Up to September 2024 , the three converted PC8000 hydraulic mining excavators had collectively exceeded 85,000 hours of operating at the Lumwana mine following their conversion and subsequent commissioning in 2019 . Notably , one of these units had achieved over 31,000 operating hours under the tethered electric drive configuration .
While operating with a tethered electric drive with an automated cable drum , the Lumwana mine infrastructure utilises electricity from the ZESCO grid , Zambia ’ s largest electricity provider . Approximately 86 % of the country ‘ s electricity is generated with hydropower from the six extensive rainfall catchment areas . Further 9 % of the electricity is sourced from coal-fired plants , with the remaining 5 % from various sources predominantly derived from solar power . When considering the equivalent CO 2 emissions per kWh from these sources , the total amounts to 181g of CO 2 per kWh on a well-to-wheel basis . Operating an electric-driven hydraulic mining excavator with these energy sources , as opposed to its conventional diesel-driven counterpart , achieves a significant reduction in CO 2 emissions by 77 % on a well-to-wheel base – based on an assumed hourly consumption rate of the hydraulic mining excavator by Komatsu Germany . Field experience after five years of operation confirmed that there is no discernible variance in performance or productivity between diesel and electric-driven hydraulic mining excavators . Furthermore , internal analysis conducted by Barrick Corporation and reported within the whitepaper reveals that electric-driven hydraulic mining excavators exhibit a 47 % improvement in cost-effectiveness when considering the total cost of ownership ( TCO ) model in comparison to their diesel counterparts . This reduction is primarily attributed to savings realised from the transition to electric power supply and decreased demand for spare parts .
On a global perspective it can be stated that conversions to electric are not just a recent trend . Back in 2009 , Komatsu pioneered the initial retrofit project by transforming two H485S front shovel units in Colombia . These units , having accrued over 60,000 operating hours with twin diesel engines , were upgraded to PC8000-1 twin
Collision Avoidance Technology for All Types & Sizes of Mobile Equipment
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