First ever battery-electric drill rig showcased
A pioneering new battery-electric drill rig was recently showcased at the MINExpo exhibition held in Las Vegas, US. Described as the first ever down-the-hole surface drill rig, Epiroc says its SmartROC D65 is set to play an important role in the shift towards a green transition and zero emission drilling in surface mines.
“The SmartROC D65 BE is a milestone for us and for surface drilling around the world. The fact that we are removing tail pipe emissions from the drilling process is an important step towards a better environment,” said Epiroc surface division acting VP: marketing Martin Johansson.
The new rig is designed to enhance the environmental standards of mining and larger quarry sites, featuring low emissions and the same range of on-board smart features, aimed at delivering high safety, reliability, and performance in a quieter working environment.
The unit demonstrator is equipped with a battery which drives the tramming motors and an electric cable to provide power for drilling.
“The SmartROC D65 BE surface drill rig is fitted with the same type of well-proven batteries and subcomponents as in other Epiroc battery solutions. This streamlines spare parts handling and service for customers with several different operations,” explains Epiroc surface division global product manager Mattias Hjerpe.
The company notes that its battery-electric solutions are attracting strong interest from the market, with customer benefits that include emissions-free operations, lower noise pollution and vibration, and higher productivity.
Epiroc says it aims to offer its full range of underground equipment in an emission-free version by 2025, and the same for its surface equipment by 2030.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation