Clean Energy-Powered Mining Vehicles

By Emmanuelle Brière
May 2012

A green mining vehicle roadmap will enable the mining industry to lower emissions and more easily integrate clean energy sources.

Approximately 95% of underground metal mine production uses loaders capable of moving up to 10 tonnes of ore over several hundred metres. These vehicles sometimes descend up to 2,500 metres below the ground and can climb inclines of up to 11.5 degrees.

A Canadian loader by Mining Technologies International, equipped with a hybrid battery-diesel supply system

What makes these vehicles so powerful is their diesel engine. However, burning this fuel produces considerable emissions of carbon particulates and noxious gases (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide). Diluting those emissions using ventilation can account for as much as 40% of the electricity costs of underground mining operations.

"To reduce polluting emissions from mining vehicles and improve the air quality in mines, all mining companies must look to new clean energy solutions," states Marc Bétournay, head of Natural Resources Canada’s Green Mining Vehicles – Green Energy Road Map initiative.

To meet this need, CanmetMINING (CMIN), together with various technological specialists, are implementing emission reducing technologies such as hybrid diesel-electric loaders and fuel cell systems.

Hybrid diesel-electric loaders

For optimal performance, diesel engines must operate at a constant high speed. In a mining environment, the loaders accelerate and decelerate often. These changes in speed cause an increase in harmful emission concentrations and a decrease in diesel vehicle efficiency.

To tackle this problem, CMIN has developed the first hybrid diesel-electric loader. Working in collaboration with Canadian manufacturer Mining Technologies International (MTI) of Sudbury, this new mining loader’s electric motor is powerful enough to perform the tasks of a diesel loader. While running on diesel, it charges its battery for the electric motor, eliminating the need to be stopped to recharge. This prototype enables a decrease in noxious gas emissions of between 40% to 70%, and combined with a high-efficiency particulate filter, enables a decrease in breathable combustible dust emissions of 95%. In addition, these decreases could result in a 20%-to-40% reduction in the energy required to ventilate a mine.

Close-up of a hybrid battery-diesel supply system in a Canadian loader by Mining Technologies International

This is just one solution among many using entirely clean substitute energy, including hydrogen fuel cells and lithium batteries. In order to speed up the implementation of these clean technologies, CMIN is preparing a roadmap that will provide mining companies with a variety of alternative energy system options, depending on potential application, possible changes to mining legislation and the companies’ energy strategies. According to Marc, "The purpose of this initiative is to replace diesel fuel with clean alternative energy sources, a considerable change in energy and environmental terms for the mining industry."

Together with mining companies, regulatory agencies, and alternative energy technology experts, CMIN will help develop projects from the needs assessment stage to end use.  The roadmap is backed by the Canada Mining Innovation Council, as well as companies involved in a related industry consortium, the Hydrogen Mine Introduction Initiative.  The next step will be to confirm the participation of other mining companies to officially launch the projects in this green plan, which will span over two years.

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