To increase productivity and safety, as well as achieve decarbonisation targets in mining, global technology company ABB and mining equipment manufacturer Epiroc have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to drive mine haulage fleet decarbonisation through the development of underground trolley systems.

The MoU follows the recent successful implementation of a battery-electric underground trolley truck system at Boliden’s Kristineberg mine, in Sweden, and also builds on past technology deployment successes in Swedish mines.

Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will have teams collaborate and carry out a comprehensive feasibility assessment of their collective offerings.

This review is aimed at meeting the demanding requirements of industrial applications in mining, considering productivity, sustainability and high-power, automated and safe operations.

ABB says any resulting solution would be ruggedised for harsh underground mine environmental conditions and built to approved standards.

The recent record of ABB and Epiroc includes the first battery-electric trolley truck system for underground mines, developed together with Swedish mining company Boliden.

According to ABB’s ‘Mining’s Moment’ report, 76% of global mining companies believe vehicle electrification will bring significant benefits both in terms of sustainability and efficiency. Additionally, 42% plan to invest in haulage fleet decarbonisation by 2026.

Hence, ABB and Epiroc say that it is “time for action”.

As mining customers increasingly seek solutions to support this crucial electrification of their vehicle fleets and move to fully decarbonise their operations under environmental, societal and economic pressures, ABB and Epiroc express that they have complementary, specialised expertise in trolley solutions for underground systems to provide integrated offerings using today’s existing technologies.

“Collaboration within the mining industry is crucial to accelerate the transformation of our mining customers’ decarbonisation journey,” says Epiroc underground division president Wayne Symes.

“We are excited to deepen our partnership with ABB by developing a strategic roadmap for sustainable, innovative mining, beginning with the decarbonisation of mining truck fleets, expanding on the trolley system to meet the wider needs of the industry with the target set to increase both safety and productivity.

“The decarbonisation of mine haulage fleets is becoming increasingly pressing as we look towards 2030 sustainability goals,” adds ABB Process Industries global business line manager for mining Max Luedtke.

“We must encourage collaboration across the industry to speed up the change needed, and Epiroc is aligned with this approach. We know from our recent ‘Mining’s Moment’ report that 71% of mining companies agreed that successful partnerships are key to gaining momentum in the energy transition.

“Technology players demonstrating a strong commitment to open standards and asset interoperability facilitate these efforts, so we look forward to discovering what else we can achieve with Epiroc and the wider industry,” says Luedtke.