BATTERY AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Rokion recently celebrated the arrival of five R200 series trucks at Torex Gold ’ s Media Luna as part of an order that totals 28 vehicles
Rokion now has an offering that covers battery-electric trucks , utility vehicles and roof bolters / forklifts , with the Saskatchewan-based company insisting the modular design of its vehicles allows for maximum design versatility .
According to Rokion , its trucks can navigate mine sites with 20 % grade at a full gross vehicle weight and full speed while traveling more than 70 km per charge . This is more than enough to
get through a full shift without charging . And , while availability is a key selling point , Rokion says its battery-powered vehicles , which use CATL cell modules , have been designed for simple and easy maintenance . The modularity of the components are “ ideal for remote mining locations where the priority is to have dedicated service personnel with expertise in production mining equipment ”, it says .
Just this year , Rokion celebrated the arrival of five R200 series trucks at Media Luna as part of an order that totals 28 vehicles .
These R200 trucks – which arrived in two separate shipments – consist of three of the fivepassenger units , one surveyor ’ s 6x6 truck and one electrician ’ s 6x6 truck . They are complemented by one R400 mechanics truck that arrived earlier this year , the company says .
“ There are 22 more vehicles to ship yet ,” Rokion told IM . “ The schedule is for delivery of 15 trucks this year , and the remaining seven , which includes a forklift , next year ( 2025 ).”
On top of this work at Media Luna , the company is working through an order for seven R100 series trucks from BHP Jansen . “ We are also speaking with the client about a larger order ,” the company added .
Hermann Paus Maschinenfabrik GmbH , meanwhile , has recently dispatched its fullyelectric Paus MinCa 5.1 E to a mine in Kazakhstan in a move that , the company says , underscores its commitment to pioneering advancements in mining and tunneling while fostering close ties with the local community .
“ The early ambitions of developing electric solutions for underground mining embody Paus ’ s dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions that meet customers ’ expectations ,” the company says . “ Various concepts are in development tailored to different applications and machine types . These include permanently integrated battery systems , vehicles with a connection to the grid via cable drums and battery swap solutions , all designed to meet specific operational needs .”
Paus ’ s electric MinCa 5.1 E offers a compact yet powerful solution for underground mining operations , the company says . With an integrated
More BEVs at Barrow
British Gypsum ’ s Barrow-upon-Soar gypsum mine in the UK , part of Saint-Gobain , is looking to expand its use of Joy battery haulers following the initial deployment of two lithium-ion haulers from Komatsu , IM heard during a technical session at the SME MineXchange Conference and Expo , in Phoenix , Arizona , recently .
“ The operation has been running two of these 18 short ton ( 16.4 t ) payload battery haulers , BH18ACs , for just over nine months , with the units replacing 16 short ton diesel DBT ‘ Ram Car ’ vehicles ,” Jerry Davis , Principal Engineer at Komatsu , said during his presentation , ‘ Case Study on the benefits of implementing the lithium-ion battery powered haulage in underground mining .’
“ Komatsu has manufactured 820 battery haulers to date ( the majority being with lead-acid batteries ), with 15 of these lithium-ion battery versions ,” Davis said . “ This is set to expand to 29 lithium-ion battery units in the near term .”
Two of these lithium-ion haulers are now at the Barrow-upon-Soar mine . These are capable of mining seams of 1.45 m and represent some of the first lithium-ion battery models of their kind to have been delivered in the UK . British Gypsum said previously that it would replace a third diesel hauler with a battery-powered unit this year .
The BH18AC is the first lithium-ion battery hauler in soft-rock mining in Europe and , Komatsu Mining says , is designed to boost productivity with 75 % faster charge time and much lower maintenance versus traditional lead acid technology . “ Brushless AC-traction motors drive each front wheel independently and are designed to deliver maximum torque ,” the company says . “ Your operators enjoy excellent steering , smooth operation and strong performance on steep inclines . Regenerative braking enhances control on descents . When conditions require extra traction , operators can hold down a button on the joystick to engage the trailer wheels for all-wheel-drive .”
The Joy lithium-ion battery charging option is capable of approximately two hours of work from discharged to full charge with no cool down period needed . At the Barrow-upon-Soar mine , it is currently using the haulers with a battery swapping mechanism .
The two new haulers have been tested on surface and underground in the room and pillar gypsum operation . They have been in commercial operation since mid-2023 .
Davis said the operation was still awaiting feedback on operating cost and productivity comparisons , but the two vehicles had already achieved vehicle availability of approximately 100 % ( compared with the dieselequivalent circa-70 %). The Joy battery haulers had also averaged a 6-m advancement in 12 loads , compared with the diesel-equivalent ’ s 16 loads .
“ In addition to the third unit , the mine operator is also considering replacing its existing cable-tethered loaders with battery haulers ,” Davis added .
26 International Mining | MAY 2024