BATTERY AND ELECTRIC MACHINES
electrified e-rail system mounted above or beside the mining vehicle together with the BluVein hammer that connects the electric vehicle to the rail .
The system , which is OEM agnostic , provides power for driving the vehicle , typically a mine truck , and charging the truck ’ s batteries while the truck is hauling load up the ramp and out of an underground mine .
This third phase , BluVein CEO , James Oliver says , represents an essential final pre-pilot stage of BluVein1 .
BluVein previously entered a Memorandum of Understanding with Epiroc , where the Swedenbased OEM agreed to provide the first ever diesel-to-battery-converted Minetruck MT42 underground truck for pilot testing on the slotted electric rail system from BluVein .
IM understands BluVein has now confirmed a machine from Volvo will also be equipped with its dynamic charging infrastructure for demonstration at the BluVein1 pilot site , set to be established this year .
The BluVein1 consortium currently consists of South32 , Northern Star Resources , Newcrest Mining , Vale , Glencore , Agnico Eagle , AngloGold Ashanti and BHP , all of whom have signed a consortium project agreement that aims to enable final system development and the construction of that technology demonstration pilot site in Australia .
The project is being conducted through the consortium model by Rethink Mining , powered by the Canada Mining Innovation Council .
Converging on charging philosophies
Speaking of charging , ADRIA Power has recently launched its new generation of mine-duty , high power charging systems , displaying these at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada ’ s annual gathering in Toronto , Canada .
These chargers , which come with single outputs , have 200 kW of charging power and are CCS-1 or CCS-2 compliant , according to Jean- Francois Couillard , President of ADRIA . They are enclosed in a rugged IP66-rated protected casing and are designed for easy installation and relocation .
Prior to this launch , ADRIA delivered and put into service chargers for a number of different OEMs , with the feedback being very positive .
“ We are also working on different versions of our systems to integrate innovative features that will ease the integration and usage even more ( to be released within the end of 2023 ),” Couillard told IM . “ We also recently noticed that the vast majority of OEMs are now moving toward the CCS standard for connectivity and interoperability , which is only going to help with the uptake of our technologies .”
In the open-pit mining sector , ADRIA has been
ADRIA Power ’ s new generation of mine-duty , high power charging systems come with single outputs , have 200 kW of charging power and are CCS-1 or CCS-2 compliant , according to Jean- Francois Couillard
involved in the development and deployment of a 1 MW bi-directional charging system with four bridgeable outputs as part of a federal and provincial government electrification program centred around Nouveau Monde Graphite ’ s Matawinie project in Quebec , Canada .
The collaboration , involving the Innovative Vehicle Institute , Propulsion Québec , the National Research Council of Canada , ADRIA , Dana TM4 , Fournier et fils and NMG , would result in the development of a new electric propulsion system with a rapid recharging infrastructure adapted to heavy vehicles in the open-pit mining industry .
For ADRIA ’ s part , it was tasked with creating a charging platform that could energise a batteryelectric converted Western Star 6900XD truck with a 40 ton ( 36 t ) loading capacity .
ZERO Automotive leverages LTO battery tech
Still in Australia , ZERO Automotive recently delivered what it refers to as an ultra-safe ZED70 Ti battery-electric converted utility vehicle using LTO battery technology that does not suffer from thermal runaway to Independence Group ’ s Nova nickel-copper-cobalt operation in Western Australia .
This is the second converted vehicle and the first dual cab for Barminco , the contractor at Nova .
Like the first delivery , this conversion also allows for ultra-fast charging and maintains the highest torque rating for a mining-spec batteryelectric vehicle by a factor of one-and-a-half times , ZERO Automotive says . Site integration activities with charging infrastructure and data capture are currently the focus , with the installation of the Geotab GO9 telematic device allowing for vehicle monitoring and tracking .
This is the third vehicle delivered with METS
Ignited support previously awarded to ZERO Automotive . It also forms part of the trials being undertaken by Barminco in its role as lead of the Electric Mine Consortium light and auxiliary vehicle working group , of which ZERO Automotive is also a participant .
The next conversion for Barminco will be Zero Automotive ’ s upgraded production platform , which will provide available torque of 267 % greater than its closest competitor and allows for faster charging , the company says .
The modular nature of the Zero Automotive platform enables its long-life battery energy system to be reused in multiple chassis , lowering the total lifecycle cost of the fleet as well as the cost of Scope 1 emissions , according to the company .
The vehicles also include dual AC-DC charging with the CCS-2 connection , which is becoming increasingly standardised in the mining space .
Modular eLV retrofits
A recent new entrant to this market is mining services provider QME , which has partnered with Xerotech and Motics to develop new electric vehicle “ plug and play ” battery kits for all medium and light underground mining vehicles . This electrification transformation , which includes the renowned Toyota Landcruiser model , represents a huge advance towards reducing the carbon footprint traditionally associated with mining , QME said .
“ The concept behind our offering is to retain as much value as possible from existing resources , products , parts and materials to create a system that allows for long life , optimal reuse , refurbishment , remanufacturing and recycling ,” it added .
The company says it has completed hundreds of development and testing hours to perfect this new generation electric-powered Toyota Landcruiser , working in tandem with Xerotech and Motics . QME will now begin the integration of these new technologies into its underground fleet in ongoing development projects in Ireland and Portugal .
The kits will use Xerotech ’ s patented technology , Xerotherm ® , which represents a complete step-change in safety and performance of battery systems , according to QME , with the thermal management and safety technology one of the best technical solutions in the world .
Motics , chosen as a partner due to its ongoing association with global OEMs , is contributing its “ ePowerone ” system that , QME says , sets new standards in the development of battery-electric vehicles . The modular design allows new components to be integrated quickly , thereby allowing innovations to be incorporated without having to adapt the interfaces on the vehicle . All vehicles using the platform benefit from a supply
46 International Mining | MAY 2023