Epiroc has the electrification offerings to enable the mining industry’s decarbonisation.
When the Federal Government introduced the reformed Safeguard Mechanism in 2023, it accelerated the need for decarbonisation in heavy industries such as mining.
Under the Safeguard Mechanism, companies that emit more than 100,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent (CO2-e) per financial year are required to buy Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs) to offset their carbon footprint.
In the 2023–24 financial year, ACCUs could be bought for $75 per tonne for every tonne a company goes above its 100,000-tonne CO2-e cap. This increases annually with the consumer price index (CPI), plus two per cent.
To insulate themselves from the Safeguard Mechanism now and into the future, mining companies are turning to environmentally-conscious machinery such as Epiroc’s range of electric-powered drills, loaders, trucks and associated infrastructure.
With innovation coursing through its veins, Epiroc is on a mission to support the decarbonisation of the Australian – and global – mining industry, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
Electrification is gradually increasing in popularity in the underground mining sector as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) prove the capability of electrified machinery, not just in limiting carbon emissions but by also boosting productivity and safety.
Epiroc’s electrification portfolio includes a range of drill rigs, including battery-electric jumbos (Epiroc Boomer range), bolting rigs (Epiroc Boltec range) and production drills (Epiroc Simba range).
These machines can be bought new or Epiroc can retrofit an existing diesel machine with battery capability. This can also coincide with a zero-hour rebuild.
Image: Epiroc
To best facilitate an electric transition, Epiroc works closely with its mining customers to understand their barriers and how to best overcome them, before building out a roadmap that doesn’t compromise operational productivity.
“Customers have different strategies around their electrification journey, and it’s important for Epiroc to be able to come up with an agile solution that isn’t just about supplying a new machine,” Epiroc Australia electrification support lead Karl Van Mourik said.
“A solution could involve scoping out a machine and considering what a battery conversion might look like at the midlife stage. Maybe their infrastructure isn’t quite ready but they can see an opportunity down the track, and they can tie that in with a new battery-electric machine.
“There are many different avenues to implementing battery-electric technologies.”
Van Mourik outlined the advantages of deploying a battery-electric truck to an underground mine.
“Battery-electric vehicles typically have a higher speed-on-grade because of the efficiency of electric motors and less loss incurred through the drive train,” he said. “So once the mine truck is integrated into the cycle times and patterns of the existing fleet, it has the potential to boost productivity.
“An electric truck provides a solution for any mine that has a problem with heat, diesel particulates, noise, vibration, or other environmental factors that are affecting their working group.
“As mines get deeper, maybe an operator needs to go electric because the environmental conditions in the mine dictate that.”
Epiroc has also expanded its electric drill range for surface mining, with the OEM recently launching new electric Pit Viper rotary blasthole drill rigs and SmartROC surface drill rigs.
The Pit Viper 271 E can drill single-pass holes up to 18m with diameters of up to 311mm, while the Pit Viper 275 E can handle multi-pass holes up to 76m with diameters reaching 270mm.
Both drills can be configured with Epiroc’s XC (Xtra Capacity) package to provide 85,000 pounds (38.5 tonnes) of bit load capacity, ensuring operators don’t experience decreased productivity.
The new models in the electric Pit Viper range are the PV231 E and PV235 E, which are suited to ‘one size smaller’ drilling operations.
These platform drills come fitted with Epiroc’s suite of automation features, as well as smart functionalities that enhance operational safety, accuracy and productivity, all the while eliminating live work.
Epiroc also showcased a demonstrator of its first ever down-the-hole SmartROC D65 battery-electric drill rig at MINExpo 2024 in Las Vegas, US.
The SmartROC D65 battery-electric demonstrator was based on the well-proven SmartROC D65 surface drill rig, which has a 110–229mm hole diameter enabling it to drill entire drill patterns and high-quality blastholes with accuracy and precision.
The SmartROC D65 is controlled via an advanced rig control system displayed on a touch screen, with the interface providing users with information such as drilling parameters and real-time MWD (measure while drilling) data, increasing efficiency across the operation.
While the bespoke benefits of these electric machines speak for themselves, customers taking the electrification plunge for the first time may be unsure about where to start.
Luckily, Epiroc has support networks available to support these customers along their journey.
Image: Epiroc
The OEM offers integrated solutions for an electric mine, incorporating infrastructure, chargers and other consulting services like electrical audits.
Epiroc can also provide guidance through its Batteries as a Service (BaaS) offering, which removes some of the obstacles that come with making the electric transition.
BaaS moves the upfront costs of batteries from capital expenditure (capex) to operational expenditure (opex), with Epiroc taking full responsibility for the batteries, from certification to maintenance and technology upgrades. BaaS is also available on gear from other OEMs that use Epiroc batteries.
Van Mourik said BaaS ensures batteries are maintained with the same vigilance and precision as Epiroc would maintain its machinery.
“The service is done by us,” he said. “We’ll ensure that you’ve always got the latest technology because as we own the battery, we’ll do all the updates for you as battery technologies improve.
“And when it comes to maintenance, once you reach a certain cut-off point for battery usage we’ll then install a new battery, guaranteeing battery usage and reducing unnecessary downtime associated with reactive battery changeouts.”
Epiroc also offers electric optionality, which can come in the form of a battery conversion and sees a diesel machine retrofitted with electric capability.
“Miners understand they need to get the full lifetime out of their assets,” Epiroc product manager – drilling solutions Hans Hilden told Australian Mining.
“And because Australian miners increasingly want to standardise their equipment, we expect more battery and electric conversions to occur as the mining sector decarbonises.”
While the Australian mining sector has been slower to the electrification party, Hilden believes it won’t take long to ignite an electric evolution.
“Once we get more proven customer cases, it can open the door for electric technologies to become more accepted in Australia and in mining as well,” he said. “I’ve seen that happen in the automation field of mining equipment, and I expect it to be the same case with electrification.”
Epiroc understands electrification requires more than the supply of electric mining equipment and machinery.
Backed by more than a century of innovation, the OEM has the expertise to aid customers on their electrification journey, no matter what stage they’re at in the transition.
This feature appeared in the December 2024 issue of Australian Mining.