THE proliferation in electric vehicles has been extended to underground mining where their potential adoption is seen as a major contribution to cost reductions, said Bloomberg News.
It cited the introduction this week of a 42 tonne capacity truck that can haul blasted rock through narrow tunnels. The machine has been developed by Swedish mining equipment maker Epiroc AB which has offered to lease the battery required to operate the vehicle in an effort to make the upfront only slightly less than buying a conventional vehicle.
The machines could make in-roads into diesel costs which are estimated to comprise up to 40% of total mine running costs, said Bloomberg News. Without leasing the battery, the upfront capital cost of an electric vehicle is twice that of a conventional vehicle. Epirock AB was spun off from Atlas Copco AB in July.
Rival Sandvik AB has delivered hundreds of vehicles powered by electric cables, and has plans to launch its own battery-powered machines, said Bloomberg News. The two companies dominate global sales of underground mining equipment, with a combined three quarters of the market. They compete with Caterpillar and Japan’s Komatsu.
