Sandvik are testing the largest battery-electric underground mining truck
Sandvik are testing the largest battery-electric underground mining truck. The truck will be used at AngloGold Ashanti’s Sunrise Dam gold mine in Western Australia.
The trial agreement is between Barminco and AngloGold Ashanti. Commercial production is expected to begin in late 2023, once the 65-tonne prototype has been trialled.
Henrik Ager, Sandvik mining, and rock solutions president said this was the natural progression of equipment for the company.
“With more than 50 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of underground mining equipment, we’re proud to continue to lead the way in helping customers embrace more sustainable solutions,” Ager said.
“Our 65-tonne battery-electric truck is our latest development in helping mass hard rock miners and contractors to make the shift towards more productive, emission-free mining.”
The new underground mining truck is expected to be 30% faster on a 1:7 ramp. This is in comparison to the diesel truck with an electric drivetrain output of 640kW.
In September 2021, Sandvik introduced the TH550B 50-tonne BEV. The new TH655B takes a similar cabin design as that from the Toro TH663i underground truck, equipped with joystick steering, large touchscreen and new control system for enhanced ergonomics.
The prototype will be a world first for Sandvik and Barminco.
Barminco received the world’s first mobile raise boring machine with back reaming capability in Sept 2019. The machine was also deployed at Sunrise Dam and was able to be set up for operation within two hours. This was instead of the usual three to four days for a conventional machine.