Volvo Trucks and Swedish mining company Boliden have announced a collaboration to implement electric truck transport in underground applications.
Boliden will become one of the first companies in the world to use battery-electric trucks for heavy underground transport starting in 2023. Boliden will deploy two heavy electric Volvo trucks at its Kankberg mine, outside Skellefteå in northern Sweden.
The first of these, a Volvo FH Electric, will enter service in 2023 to ferry rock bolts and other equipment down into the mine. The second truck will be put into operation for underground transportation of rock and ore based on the results from the first truck.
The electric trucks can provide several advantages when deployed in mines. These include the absence of exhaust emissions, a safer workplace, and quieter working conditions. If all trucks in the mine were to be electric, CO2 emissions from the mine could be reduced by over 25%.
Boliden is committed to reducing its CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030.
Source: Green Car Congress
Image Source: Volvo