BATTERY AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES
“ From a technology development and demonstration point of view , it is crucial to understand the framework that you have from the lower and upper end of the drilling portfolio ,” Laihanen said . “ This helps you track it with the customer base and finalise your productisation plan to hit that 2030 goal of having an electrified offering for the whole range .”
Aiding this 2030 goal is the recent announcement of the opening of the Sandvik Test Pit – some 40 km away from Tampere , Finland – where the company can test out all boom and rotary drill rigs up to the DR413 class at the same time as providing customer showcases both on electrification and automation .
AngloGold Ashanti is continuing its journey towards net zero with the introduction of an Epiroc ST14 SG 100 % electric loader at the Cuiabá Mine in Brazil
Epiroc SmartROC goes electric
Epiroc has taken a similar pathway to surface drilling electrification , having previewed its first ever tophammer battery-electric drill rig , the SmartRoc T35E , at bauma 2022 .
It has since stepped up the momentum , partnering with mining services company Capital Limited to field test the SmartROC D65 BE , a battery-electric surface drill rig for the mining and construction industry .
The battery-electric version of the SmartROC D65 surface drill rig will be tested at Capital Limited ’ s Sukari operation , in Egypt ( owned by Centamin ) this year . This mine already has a broad fleet of Epiroc drill rigs , according to the OEM , with Capital carrying out an earthmoving contract involving load , haul and associated drilling services .
Hakan Aytekin , Vice President , Epiroc Surface division , said : “ This field test is an important step in our drive towards emission-free surface drill rigs . Capital Limited is always pushing the boundaries with new technologies , and that makes them an ideal partner for this field test .”
The autonomous SmartROC D65 MKII for production drilling applications became commercially available last year following testing in Australia .
Alongside this , Epiroc recently launched three new electric-driven blasthole drills – the Pit Viper 271 XC E , Pit Viper 275 XC E and the Pit Viper 291 E – as part of an expansion of its Smart and Green Series .
These Pit Vipers deliver the same performance as their diesel-driven counterparts with zero exhaust emissions , zero fuel consumption and a lower carbon footprint , according to the company .
Like Sandvik , Epiroc aims to offer a full range of emission-free surface equipment by 2030 . space investigating or trialling various iterations of the technology .
Late last year , Wabtec and its launch customer Roy Hill celebrated the debut of the FLXdrive battery locomotive , the world ’ s first 100 % battery-powered , heavy-haul locomotive for mainline service .
The ceremony unveiled the pink-coloured locomotive at Wabtec ’ s design and development centre in Pennsylvania in front of employees , customer executives , and government and community officials .
“ This FLXdrive locomotive represents a major step in the journey to a low-to-zero-emission future in the rail industry ,” Rafael Santana , President & CEO of Wabtec , said . “ The FLXdrive is driven from within by our battery technology and the innovative spirit of our employees . Roy Hill is an ideal customer to partner with given their leadership and excellent operational record .”
Roy Hill ’ s FLXdrive battery-electric locomotive will feature an energy capacity of 7 MWh . Based on the route and company ’ s rail operations , the FLXdrive is anticipated to provide a double-digit percentage reduction in fuel costs and emissions per train .
Gerhard Veldsman , Chief Executive Officer , Hancock Prospecting Group Operations , owner of Roy Hill , said : “ The FLXdrive locomotive represents not only a first for the Pilbara , but a first for the mining industry . The technological smarts that have gone into the development of the loco makes it well suited for our rail network . By using regenerative braking , it will charge its battery on the 344 km downhill run from our mine to port facility and use that stored energy to return to the mine , starting the cycle all over again . This will not only enable us to realise energy efficiencies but also lower operating costs .”
Today , Roy Hill uses four Wabtec ES44ACi “ Evolution Series ” diesel-electric locomotives in a consist to pull trains that are typically 2.7 km in length carrying more than 33,000 t of iron ore . The addition of the FLXdrive will form a hybrid loco consist with Wabtec diesel-electric loco , and recharge during the trip through regenerative braking . The FLXdrive manages the overall train energy flow and distribution through its energy
Low-carbon locos
Talk of battery and hybrid locomotives has become commonplace in some of the big iron ore mining jurisdictions , with several players in this
Late last year , Wabtec and its launch customer Roy Hill celebrated the debut of the FLXdrive battery locomotive
14 International Mining | MAY 2024