Modern Mining September 2021

to help convert existing mining operations from fossil fuel energy to all-electric. Mines can become ever more energy efficient with vastly reduced levels of CO₂ emissions, while at the same time staying competitive and ensuring high productivity.” “We are celebrating 130 years in the mining industry and decades in the electri- fication of mining equipment,” adds Mehrzad Ashnagaran, global product line manager, Electrification and Composite Plant. “Today we are extending our engineering capabili- ties and investment to electric transport, to bring new solutions to meet the growing demand of our customers. Besides the environmen- tal benefits, fuel price volatility, making electricity more cost competitive and legislation are driving the move to electric-powered mines. ABB not only understands these requirements, but we can also equip the industry to meet them.” eMine FastCharge can serve as a cornerstone of the transition to fully electrified mines across the industry. This flexible and fully automated solution, which is being designed for the harshest environ- ments, can be installed anywhere and can charge any electric truck without human intervention at up to 600ckW, the highest power available on today’s market to minimise downtime of mobile assets. Charging time will depend on the battery capacity onboard the haul truck and the operational profile, however in many instances a suitable state of charge could be reached within 15 minutes. With eMine, ABB says it is extending its capabilities to the elec- trification of mining trucks and technologies for the full hauling process. eMine provides integral design planning and thinking to maximise the value of electrification, helping to design the hauling process in the most

optimised way with electrical solutions that match mine constraints and help meet production tar- gets. ABB helps mine operators map their journey towards an all-electric mine from phasing out diesel to embedding a new mindset and new team skills. By fully integrating electrification and digital systems from the mine to the port, eMine further reduces overall costs and improves mine performance while significantly lowering environmental impact. 

ABB Ability eMine is integrated with digital applications and services to monitor and optimise energy usage.

Key takeaways  Mining companies are working closely with OEMs to develop all-electric equipment solutions  BHP has entered into a partnership with Caterpillar to develop and deploy zero-emissions mining trucks at BHP sites  Rio Tinto and Caterpillar have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Caterpillar’s development of zero-emissions autonomous haul trucks for use at one of Rio Tinto’s Western Australian mining operations  BELAZ is one of the first OEMs in the world to present a prototype of an all-electric mining dump truck, the BELAZ-7558E  ABB has unveiled its ABB Ability eMine, a portfolio of solutions that will help accelerate the move towards zero-carbon mines

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September 2021  MODERN MINING  33