Epiroc has secured an important order for battery-electric mining equipment from Ivanplats. The mining and infrastructure productivity and sustainability associate will use the equipment to advance its Greenfield mine in South Africa in the “most sustainable and productive manner possible”.
Ivanplats, a subordinate of Ivanhoe Mines, a Canadian mining firm, has ordered a number of Boomer M2 battery face drill rigs and Scooptram ST14 battery loaders. These belong to its Platreef subterranean mine, which is set to test run the emissions-free machines during its first development stage.
Ivanplats intends to make use of all battery-electric vehicles in its mining line at Platreef. Among the minerals that the fleet will produce are palladium, rhodium, platinum, nickel, copper and gold.
The order surpasses R150-million in value.
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Epiroc President and CEO Helena Hedblom commended the decision by the firm saying that battery-electric equipment are being incorporated in the mining sector owing to their ability to provide a healthier work environment. This is in addition to increasing productivity and cutting down on the operating costs.
“It is encouraging that Ivanplats is considering going all battery-electric at Platreef and we are proud to support them on this journey,” she said.
She added that technological advancement is to be embraced and that Epiroc is “driving this change toward emissions-free mining.”
“We want to be at the fore-front of using battery electric, zero-emission equipment at all of our mining operations,” says Ivanhoe Mines president and CFO Marna Cloete, who adds that the partnership with Epiroc for emissions-free mining equipment at the Platreef mine “is an important first step towards achieving our net-zero carbon emissions goals, while mining metals required for a cleaner environment”.
The equipment, which was built in Sweden, will be dispatched early in 2022. Epiroc is expected to provide maintenance training and an on-site operator to Ivanplats.
