The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Metal Tech News - April 22, 2024
ABB, Epiroc, and Boliden have successfully deployed the first battery-electric truck trolley system in an underground mine.
The electric trolley project is supported by funding from the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova.
Boliden, Epiroc, and ABB are each known for pushing the envelope of mining innovation and electrification. Now, these companies have pooled their expertise into installing the first fully battery-electric truck underground trolley system on an 800-meter-long test track within Boliden's Kristineberg mine in northern Sweden.
"Over the past three years, we have worked in close collaboration with the ABB and Epiroc teams to bring the electric mine of the future one step closer," said Boliden General Manager Peter Bergman.
Lowering the carbon footprint of underground and open pit mines through the electrification of mining equipment doing heavy hauling and digging essential to the global clean energy strategy.
The International Energy Agency, which estimates that the demand for minerals critical to the clean energy transition will increase by 150 to 700% by 2030, considers electrification as one of the most important strategies for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
In addition to lowering the carbon dioxide emissions associated with producing the minerals that will build solar farms, wind turbines, and electric vehicles, the electrification of underground mining equipment increases worker safety and could lower costs.
Boliden, Epiroc, and ABB aim to demonstrate that the trolley they have developed, along with the electric mining trucks it enables, will significantly improve the underground working environment by lowering emissions, noise, and vibration.
The Swedish collaboration also anticipates that the trolley will reduce the total cost of moving each ton of rock out of the mine.
"In a short space of time, we have implemented and delivered technology to not only reduce CO2 emissions, but substantially extend travel distance for battery-electric driven vehicles on heavy ramp haulage, reduce operating costs, and improve the health and safety of mining environments," said Wayne Symes, president of Epiroc's underground division.
The electric trolley project is supported by funding from the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova.
The underground mining environment poses unique challenges to designing and deploying a trolley system that can give the battery a boost while providing loaded trucks a helpful tug up energy-draining steep slopes to the surface.
The Swedish mining company, heavy equipment manufacturer, and global electrification expert each brought their unique skillsets to developing and deploying a solution that overcomes the challenges.
Boliden provided the underground mining expertise and a real-world platform to install and test the trolley; Epiroc added dynamic charging to its proven battery-electric Minetruck MT42 SG and battery system; and ABB created the grid-to-wheel infrastructure for a dynamic trolley and charging system based on its eMine portfolio of electrification and digital systems designed to accelerate the decarbonization of the mining sector.
"We are passionate and committed to creating real progress for the mining industry," said Max Luedtke, global mining business line manager mining at ABB.
To design a solution that could adapt to voltage fluctuations along the system, ABB collaborated with its partners to build a digital twin to simulate all scenarios.
Based on what they learned, the collaborators developed a dynamic trolley system, with intelligent switchgear, measurements, and transparency with the inbuilt ability to adjust power where it is needed at any given moment.
The 800-meter-long test track for this technology is charging battery-powered Epiroc trucks as they are towed up a 13% incline at Boliden's Kristineberg mine.
"Seeing the industry's first battery-electric truck trolley system live is not only the result of a collaborative achievement with Boliden and Epiroc, but it is truly an industry milestone," said Luedtke.
Boliden says it is proud to be part of developing an electrification solution that goes beyond its own climate and worker safety ambitions.
"The most important thing for us is of course that the technology works in our own operations, but we also see added value that we together with our partners can drive technology development so that the system can be used in other mines," said Bergman. "We are proud to have taken this concept to a live installment."
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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