Modern Mining February 2025

SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS

ABB and Epiroc advance collaboration on underground trolley solutions for mining

Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will have teams in collaboration to carry out a comprehensive feasibility assessment of their collective offerings. This review aims to meet the demanding requirements of industrial applications in mining, considering productivity, sustainability, and high-power, automated and safe operations. Any resulting solution would be ruggedised for harsh underground mine environmental conditions and built to approved standards. The recent track record of ABB and Epiroc includes the first battery-electric trolley truck system for underground mines, developed together with Swedish mining company Boliden. According to ABB’s Mining’s Moment report, 76 percent of global mining companies believe vehicle electrification will bring significant benefits both in terms of sustainability and efficiency. Additionally, 42 percent plan to invest in haulage fleet decarbonisation by 2026. In light of this, ABB and Epiroc believe it is time for action. As mining customers increasingly seek solutions to support this crucial electrification of their vehicle fleets and move to fully decarbonise their operations under environmental, societal and economic pressures, ABB and Epiroc believe they have complementary, specialised expertise in trolley solutions for underground systems to provide integrated offerings using today’s existing technologies. n

ABB and Epiroc sign MoU based on underground trolley equipment.

Technology leader in electrification and automation, ABB, and Epiroc have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) based on underground trolley equipment to collaborate on joint, comprehensive and integrated solutions for the mining industry to increase productivity and safety, and achieve decarbonisation targets. The MoU builds on past technology deployment successes in Swedish mines.

SA experience spurs PDS expansion into Southern Africa Benefiting from South Africa’s role as a global pioneer in Proximity Detection Systems (PDS), other countries in the region are embracing this safety and monitoring technology to great effect. “South Africa is leading the drive for PDS deployment due to its legislation, but the country is also probably the most experienced in the world on this topic,” says Anton Lourens, CEO of Booyco Electronics. “We have seen that most Southern Africa mines are adopting technology and solutions that have been deployed and proven in South Africa.” Lourens notes that most of Booyco Electronics’ solutions and products

Electronics has adopted the strategy of partnering with in-country providers where a local support base can be established to ensure that the PDS technology is looked after and maintained. n

are suitable for rollout in neighbouring countries, as they can meet local compliance standards. “The flexibility in our offering – facilitated through firmware optimisation on a universal hardware platform – ensures that we can effectively meet new customer demands without re-inventing the wheel for specific needs,” he explains. This has underpinned the company’s been considerable new development in the region’s mining sector. Booyco Electronics’ long history in South Africa has fed its success in the rest of the region, as it is regularly contacted by mining decision-makers who were previous customers in South Africa – and are now working in neighbouring countries. In its expansion, Booyco expansion strategy that includes Southern Africa, where there has

The successful implementation of PDS in the mining sector hinges on the effective integration of the human factor.

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38  MODERN MINING  www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | February 2025