Industry and manufacturers are making the shift to lower carbon emissions, and one of the pieces of the puzzle are electric vehicles.
ABB has launched Ability eMine, a portfolio of solutions that will help accelerate the move towards a zero-carbon mine.
“The global mining industry is undergoing one of the most significant and important transformations of our generation – and that is to become zero-carbon,” said Max Luedtke, global head of mining at ABB. “ABB Ability eMine is an exciting milestone to help convert existing mining operations from fossil fuel energy to all-electric. Mines can become even more energy efficient with vastly reduced levels of CO₂ emissions, while at the same time staying competitive and ensuring high productivity.”
ABB also unveiled the Ability eMine FastCharge, the world’s fastest and most powerful charging system, designed to interface with all makes of electric mining haul trucks.
eMine comprises a portfolio of electrification technologies which makes the all-electric mine possible from mine to port and is integrated with digital applications and services to monitor and optimize energy usage. It can electrify any mining equipment across hoisting, grinding, hauling and material handling. From 2022, it will include new ABB Ability eMine FastCharge which provides high-power electric charging for haul trucks and is currently in pilot phase.
It also incorporates the ABB Ability eMine Trolley System which can reduce diesel consumption by up to 90 percent, significantly lowering energy costs and environmental impact.
“We are celebrating 130 years in the mining industry and decades in the electrification of mining equipment,” added Mehrzad Ashnagaran, global product line manager, electrification and composite plant. “Today we are extending our engineering capabilities and investment to electric transport, to bring new solutions to meet the growing demand of our customers. Besides the environmental 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 is being designed for the harshest environments, can be installed anywhere and can charge any electric truck without human intervention at up to 600kW, the highest power available on today’s market to minimize the 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 is extending its capabilities to the electrification of mining trucks and technologies for the full mining process.
eMine provides integral design planning and thinking to maximize the value of electrification, helping to design the hauling process in the most optimized way with electrical solutions that match mine constraints and help meet production targets. 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.
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