The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Foran Mining orders a record 20 battery-electric underground mine trucks, loaders, and drills for zero-carbon copper mine Metal Tech News - July 25, 2022
Foran Mining has ordered an entire fleet of Sandvik battery-electric mining equipment for its McIlvenna Bay underground copper-zinc mine project in Saskatchewan, Canada.
The Sandvik LH518B loader and TH550B truck are among the equipment to be operating at Foran's McIlvenna Bay Mine.
Toward the goal of producing zero-carbon copper at its McIlvenna Bay mine project in Saskatchewan, Canada, Foran Mining Corp. has ordered a fleet of 20 battery-electric underground mine trucks, loaders, drills, and other equipment from Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions.
This US$32.4 million (330 million Swedish kronor) deal marks the largest single sale of Sandvik's growing line of electric mining equipment.
"This record contract is the culmination of a year-long collaborative effort between Foran Mining and Sandvik and demonstrates a shared vision that electrification will drive the future of sustainable mining," said Jakob Rutqvist, vice president strategy and commercial for Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions' battery and hybrid electric vehicles business unit.
Lying just 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of the famed Flin Flon mining district in Manitoba, McIlvenna Bay is home to a large volcanic-hosted massive sulfide deposit rich in copper, zinc, silver, and gold that also happens to have access to abundant clean hydroelectricity to charge the fleet of Sandvik equipment that will be operating at the mine being developed there.
"BEVs have enormous potential to reduce a mining operation's carbon footprint, and Canada continues to be the epicenter for mining electrification and a blueprint for what to expect in other major mining regions very soon," Rutqvist added.
A 2020 prefeasibility study detailed an underground mining operation at McIlvenna Bay that would average roughly 27.9 million pounds of copper, 89.2 million lb of zinc, 17,312 ounces of gold, and 492,667 oz of silver annually over an initial 18 years of mining.
The copper and zinc to be produced at McIlvenna Bay are critical to building the electrical grids, solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and batteries essential for the transition to a low-carbon future.
"This is a very exciting period for Foran as we continue to execute on our initiatives to permit, construct and operate McIlvenna Bay," said Dave Bernier, Chief Operating Officer of Foran Mining. "Utilizing battery-electric equipment with semi- and fully-autonomous capabilities can help us achieve carbon neutral targets and provide a safer working environment, which is part of our Net Positive Business strategy as we look to deliver critical metals essential for global decarbonization in a responsible and socially-empowering way."
In addition to the environmental advantages of delivering zero-carbon metals to the market, the use of battery-electric mining equipment pencils out to be the better economic choice for McIlvenna Bay.
A side-by-side analysis of battery versus electric equipment during the prefeasibility study determined that zero-emissions battery electric mining equipment will deliver stronger financial results when you consider that less underground ventilation will need to be installed and operated.
Given the environmental and economic advantages, Foran has ordered an entire fleet of battery-electric equipment for the mine – seven Sandvik LH518B loaders, six Sandvik TH550B trucks, four Sandvik DD422iE jumbos, two Sandvik DL422iE longhole drills, and one Sandvik DS412iE mechanical bolter.
"I am very pleased that Foran Mining has chosen Sandvik to deliver our leading battery-electric solutions for the pioneering McIlvenna Bay project," said Sandvik President and CEO Stefan Widing. "We see very strong momentum for our mining electrification offering, which offers great potential in driving more sustainable mining, helping customers to boost productivity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve workers' health."
In addition to selling the equipment, Sandvik will provide on-site service support and battery as a service at the underground copper-zinc mining project.
Similar to software as a service, where you pay a fee to get services like Netflix or Microsoft Office, Sandvik's battery as a service will enable McIlvenna Bay to get the most out of its battery-electric equipment by relying on Sandvik's expertise to manage the capacity and health of batteries and chargers throughout their long lives.
Delivery of the electric Sandvik mining equipment to McIlvenna Bay is scheduled to begin next year and continue into 2025.
With more than 16 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration and technology metals.
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