Volvo to deploy two heavy duty electric trucks in Swedish underground mine

Volvo and mining company Boliden are to deploy two heavy duty electric trucks at the Kankberg gold and tellurium underground mine, outside Skellefteå in northern Sweden.

One Volvo FH Electric will transport rock bolts and other equipment down into the mine, and a second FH Electric to be used for underground transport of rock and ore.

“This is an exciting collaboration in an environment with very tough demands; steep slopes, heavy loads and humid air that wears on the vehicles,” said Jessica Lindholm, project manager at Volvo Trucks.

“The collaboration with Boliden will give us valuable knowledge about the performance of electric trucks when driven underground, and provide answers to questions about how the driveline and batteries are affected.

“Reduced carbon dioxide emissions for mining transport also means that we, indirectly, will reduce our own CO2 emissions, because the mining industry’s raw materials are used in our trucks.”

Mines are currently reliant on diesel vehicles for underground transport of everything from equipment to workers to minerals, and apart from the carbon emissions these vehicles also have adverse effect on worker conditions through the exhaust emissions and noise.

Boliden has targeted a cut in its scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030. If all Boliden’s trucks were transitioned to electric, it could reduce CO2 emissions from the mine by over 25%.

“We see the collaboration with Volvo as a fantastic opportunity to push the electric technology forward and at the same time learn how to adapt our operations for a transition to fossil-free underground transport,” said Dennis Forslund, project manager at Boliden.

“A major benefit of the trucks is that they will contribute to a more sustainable mine, both in terms of emissions and also the working environment for our employees.

“In addition, the total amount of energy consumed in the mine will be lower as electric drive is more energy efficient than a diesel engine, and it is possible to capture the electricity regenerated during engine braking on downhill slopes.”