WORLD PROSPECTS
Rio Tinto partners with SPIC to trial battery swapping on electric trucks at Oyu Tolgoi
As outlined in a statement shared with the Chinese media by Rio Tinto to coincide with a project celebration ceremony meeting , the Tier 1 miner and China ’ s State Power Investment Corporation Ltd ( SPIC ) green energy company SPIC Qiyuan are collaborating to pilot battery swapping technology at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia . The two-year project will showcase a full battery-electric truck ecosystem , featuring eight 91-ton Tonly brand wide body trucks , 13 batteries ( each 800 kWh ), and a battery-swapping station , allowing for quick energy replenishment and minimising downtime .
Battery swapping means you can replace the battery of an electric mining truck at a battery swap station without the need to charge the vehicle at a fixed charging facility .
Jonathon McCarthy , Chief Decarbonisation Officer at Rio Tinto , was quoted saying that Rio Tinto and SPIC are cooperating to carry out application pilots for China ’ s existing cuttingedge technologies and innovations and evaluate their potential to help Rio Tinto reduce operational carbon emissions . “ This pilot project will help us explore the application of pure electric battery swapping technology , which can provide greater flexibility and reduce downtime compared with current fixed charging technology .” He added that this work will complement ongoing pilot projects for the electrification of very large mining trucks in the Pilbara region .
Han Zhiwei , Chairman of SPIC Capital Holdings Co Ltd , said that through cooperation with Rio Tinto Group , SPIC has successfully introduced leading green transportation innovations to the international market and looks forward to more cooperation opportunities in the future to apply China ’ s innovations .
Technical experts from Rio Tinto and Oyu Tolgoi have worked closely with SPIC and truck manufacturer Tonly to adjust equipment design to align with Rio Tinto electrical and truck safety requirements .
According to the release , these trucks will be responsible for performing tailings dam repair and surface soil transportation tasks , and will be operated and maintained by the Oyu Tolgoi mining team . The truck is designed to run for eight hours per charge , and the battery replacement process takes about seven minutes . By minimising energy replenishment and outage time , the vehicle attendance rate can be improved . The first truck is scheduled to arrive at the Oyu Tolgoi mining area this year , and the remaining seven trucks and charging and swapping infrastructure will be put into use in
mid-2025 .
Rio Tinto says it operates about 700 haul trucks across its global operations , of which 100 are classified as small or medium class ( 100-200 t payload ).
Oyu Tolgoi Chief Executive Officer Deirdre Lingenfelder said : “ We are proud the Oyu Tolgoi team is playing a pivotal role in advancing this innovative technology on behalf of Rio Tinto . This project represents a significant step in our ongoing decarbonisation journey , aligning closely with Oyu Tolgoi ’ s strategic commitment to sustainable growth . By expanding our use of underground battery electric equipment and implementing other emissions reduction initiatives , we are actively driving progress toward a net zero-carbon future for our operations .”
Battery swapping is already relatively common in China for wide body mining truck fleets . Ren Hua , General Manager – Global Mining Machinery Business Division at XCMG , China ’ s leading mining equipment OEM , recently told IM at MINExpo 2024 : “ Our primary solution remains stationary plug-in charging , but we are also developing dynamic charging technologies . We have delivered a number of battery swapping solutions for wide-body trucks , allowing battery packs to be swapped from both sides or the top . Although battery swapping is more challenging for larger rigid trucks , we are actively conducting studies to adapt this technology for them as well .” www . riotinto . com ; www . spic . com . cn
First Early Learner Cat truck arrives at Cripple Creek and Victor
Newmont Corporation has announced the commissioning of its first battery-electric large mining truck at the Cripple Creek and Victor ( CC & V ) mine in Teller County , Colorado , USA .
The vehicle , dubbed the Early Learner Cat ® 793 XE , is an important milestone for Newmont , made possible through its strategic alliance with Caterpillar Inc .
“ The arrival of the Early Learner Cat 793 XE underscores our ongoing commitment to reducing greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions across our business ,” Natascha Viljoen , Chief Operating Officer at Newmont , said . “ As we look toward the future , our focus remains on creating a safer and more productive mining environment and this battery-electric large mining truck is one more step we are taking to further advance our safety and sustainability commitments .”
Currently , surface and underground mining diesel combustion machines are responsible for a significant portion of Newmont ’ s carbon emissions . Introducing innovative solutions like the Early Learner 793 XE at the mine-site level demonstrates Newmont ’ s ongoing commitment towards reducing emissions , it said .
Denise Johnson , Group President of Resource Industries , Caterpillar , said : “ As the mining industry navigates the energy transition , we know a diverse set of solutions will be required for our customers to achieve their operational and sustainability objectives . We are excited about our collaboration with Newmont and working with them to truly understand the implementation and impact of the Early Learner 793 XE at CC & V .”
Newmont and Caterpillar will focus on validating and testing the Early Learner 793 XE . These efforts will provide insights into how mining operations can incorporate batteryelectric large mining trucks , setting a new
standard for the industry .
Newmont and Caterpillar ’ s strategic alliance , signed in 2021 , covers the delivery of a fully connected , automated , zero carbon emitting , end-to-end mining system . Together , the companies have been collaborating to create a safer , more productive mine , and substantially support Newmont in reaching its 2030 GHG emissions reduction targets of more than 30 %, with an ultimate goal of being net zero carbon by 2050 . www . cat . com ; www . newmont . com
6 International Mining | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2024