50 September/October 2025 | E-Mobility Engineering Mining is a dirty business, but Peter Donaldson uncovers how electrification could help clean up its image Unearthing real treasure Mining accounts for around 1% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Of that figure, approximately 40–50% comes from burning diesel in mobile equipment and 30–35% from the use of non-renewable energy sources to generate electricity. There is much to be saved through electrification because a single 300 t haul truck, for example, can burn about 4000 litres of diesel per day, the elimination of which would go a long way toward the industry’s goal of major cuts in carbon emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050, while potentially reducing its energy costs by 30–50%. Electrification essentials In 2021, electrical equipment and robotics company ABB identified several key elements that must be in place for the electrification of a mine to be successful. These include the interoperability of vehicles and chargers that comes with vendoragnostic charging infrastructure. Also, it must be easy to move and adapt charging points to accommodate changes in mine design, while mines must transition to smart grids encompassing renewables and storage to handle volatile loads. Rugged highpower charging connectors that work reliably under harsh conditions and meet the power demands of large mining trucks are also essential, as are robust trolley (overhead external power supply) systems to help on long or steep inclines. Charging stations must include fast and slow onboard and offboard systems, with a mix of AC and DC supplies, ABB noted. Fast onboard DC chargers suit large haul trucks operating in open cast (surface) mines, enabling them to take advantage of both stationary chargers and trolley systems. Fast DC offboard systems located at carefully selected points suit smaller haul trucks in either open cast or underground mines, particularly where the vehicles operate almost continuously – with idle time limited to about 15 minutes. Slow offboard charging systems are ideal for vehicles such as personnel and equipment transports, which are typically used intermittently, and those that use battery swapping systems. Lastly, slow onboard systems best suit stationary equipment such as drill rigs and bolters that only occasionally need to be moved around the production area. Trolley systems consist of overhead powerlines from which vehicles draw power though roof-mounted pantographs. They are being introduced to support diesel electric haul trucks, and are capable of doing the same for battery electric vehicles (BEVs), a combination that is even more energy efficient when the vehicle also exploits regenerative braking. Realising the full potential of electrification, ABB argues, also requires digitalisation and integration of automation systems. This enables, for example, monitoring of vehicle location, energy use and charging needs, the implementation of grid management to prevent overloads by shedding non-critical loads, and the use of autonomous systems – which benefit from EV’s lower maintenance needs. The latest versions of Komatsu’s 930E ultra-class haul truck are part of its Power Agnostic series, which are designed to accept diesel electric, battery electric or fuel cell power (Image courtesy of Komatsu)
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