Volvo Trucks and Boliden to develop electric trucks for mining

Volvo Trucks and Boliden, a Swedish mining group, have teamed up to introduce battery-electric trucks for heavy underground transport in Boliden’s Kankberg mine outside Skellefte in northern Sweden starting in 2023. By implementing electric truck transport in underground environments, Boliden is becoming one of the first mining companies in the world to do so.

Electric trucks offer several advantages for the mining industry, such as no exhaust emissions, a safer workplace, and quieter working conditions. In addition, they are more sustainable, making them ideal for mining companies aiming to reduce their carbon footprint.

Boliden is committed to decreasing its CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030 and has identified the electrification of transport as a critical step toward achieving this goal. The new collaboration agreement between Boliden and Volvo Trucks involves using two heavy, electric Volvo trucks in the Kankberg mine. The CO2 emissions from the mine could be reduced by more than 25 percent of all trucks in the mine were to be electric.

The first truck to serve the Kankberg mine will be a Volvo FH Electric, which will transport rock bolts and other equipment into the mine and be put into service in 2023. Based on the experience with the first truck, another Volvo FH Electric will later be put into operation and used for the underground transport of rock and ore.

The trucks would contribute to a more sustainable mine in terms of emissions and the working environment for employees. The total amount of energy consumed in the mine would also be lower. An electric drive is more energyefficient than a diesel engine, and capturing the electricity regenerated during engine braking on downhill slopes is possible.

For more details visit: https://www.volvoce.com/