CHARGING SOLUTIONS
ABB eMine FastCharge ’ s modular , mobile design means it is future ready for higher-powered new connection interfaces and can be installed anywhere , ABB claims
Plugging in
Charging solutions will continue to come in all shapes , sizes and configurations to suit various mining applications , Dan Gleeson reports
There are currently various charging solutions on the market for electric vehicles , however , it is fair to say , a standard charging method has not yet achieved widespread industry adoption .
Battery swapping , stationary fast charging ( automatic or manual ), dynamic charging and trolley assist are just some of the options to consider .
“ Each mine electrification project must evaluate the options to discover which fits best with their unique situation ,” Staubli says in its ‘ Mining charging solutions : what is the most efficient solution for electrifying the mining fleet ?’ whitepaper .
Issues including infrastructure requirements , integration into existing mine structures , battery handling , safety and maintenance must all be considered .
The comparison of the different charging solutions , including battery swapping , stationary charging systems and trolley assist , shows that each of these methods has advantages and disadvantages . Some of these benefits and drawbacks are also tied to the application at hand , with certain solutions better suited than others to , for example , uphill ramp haulage , flat haulage profiles , etc .
Partnering on interoperability
The challenge of electrifying mining haul truck operations with robust and efficient charging solutions , however , took a step forward with the formal launch of the CharIN Mining Taskforce , a partnership between global organisations CharIN and ICMM , last year .
The partnership enabled ICMM to address technical bottlenecks around the interoperability of battery-electric charging systems for the rollout of zero greenhouse gas emission mining vehicles , expected to begin this decade .
The statement said : “ Diesel-powered mining vehicles currently account for 30-50 % of direct emissions at a mine site , and up to 80 % in some cases , and electrifying them will be crucial to help to achieve global decarbonisation goals . While CharIN has been instrumental in establishing the Combined Charging System ( CCS ) international standard for charging passenger electric vehicles and the Megawatt Charging System ( MCS ) for heavy transport , a new high-power charging solution is needed for the mining industry due to the large size of haul trucks .”
It adds : “ Addressing interoperability and standardisation for charging solutions early on could help to reduce duplication in charging infrastructure for mines around the world – an important step in accelerating the implementation of battery-electric technology on sites , while enabling increased operational efficiency , reliability and safety .”
CharIN ’ s 300-plus members in the e-mobility community , including manufacturers and technology suppliers , offer unique access to rapidly specify and test technologies . ICMM ’ s 26 company members provide industry expertise and access to a range of operations in different geographies and conditions . This access , the partners say , “ is critical for trials to prove these technologies are fit for the harsh environmental conditions and complex operations in mining .”
Taskforce participants , including BHP , Rio Tinto , Shell , ABB and GHD , will define requirements , pilot , and test the technical capabilities of the interoperable ruggedised charging solutions in mining environments . This will aid in defining the requirements for both a higher power stationary charging plug and a dynamic ( in-motion ) charging interface for use on
mining sites , CharIN and ICMM say .
Claas Bracklo , Chairman of CharIN e . V ., said : “ CharIN members represent all the various industries in the e-mobility ecosystem , from grid to charging point operators to heavy equipment makers to standardisation and testing organisations . Our members ’ in-depth knowledge of the charging ecosystem and its ISO 15118 data communication , e-mobility experience , and the technical requirements needed to develop and test new charging systems and e-mobility services make CharIN the perfect match with ICMM to efficiently and thoroughly define the requirements of future charging standards as requested in the mining and marine industry .”
Christian Spano , Director of Innovation , ICMM , said : “ Value chain collaboration will be critical in helping us get to net zero . Through ICMM ’ s Innovation for Cleaner , Safer Vehicles initiative , we ’ ve identified technical bottlenecks affecting progress in implementing zero emissions vehicles at mining operations globally , that we ’ re now creating partnerships to drive progress on .”
He adds : “ ICMM is thrilled to partner with CharIN , which has extensive experience in solving battery charging interoperability challenges across other industrial sectors and works with an exciting roster of manufacturing and technology companies . The scale of ICMM ’ s membership will enhance opportunities for piloting and testing solutions at certain identified sites , and aims to ultimately accelerate progress on the wider roll-out of a new generation of zero emission mining vehicles for the industry .”
ABB eMine fueling the future of mining
As well as its role within the Taskforce , ABB is helping speed the adoption of battery-electric vehicles and all-electric mines through its holistic eMine™ framework .
The eMine FastCharge provides fully automated high-power electric charging specifically designed for BEVs in heavy-duty industrial mine applications . Introduced in 2021 as a pilot solution , eMine FastCharge was then the world ’ s fastest and only fully automated charging system for mining haul trucks , ABB claims . Its modular , mobile design means it is future ready for higher-powered new connection interfaces and can be installed anywhere . Being an engineered solution , it is tailored to the individual specifications and requirements of each mine .
Using learnings from data gathered during the two-year pilot project , the system has been
64 International Mining | MAY 2024