Epiroc today launched a second generation of battery-powered machines designed to lower mining costs and promote a healthier underground work environment.
The battery-driven underground loaders, trucks and drill rigs will create a number of benefits for mining companies globally, including improved health and safety, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and lower operating costs.
"We at Epiroc want to help our customers boost productivity, enhance safety and cut emissions - all while lowering the total cost of operation," said Per Lindberg, Epiroc's president and CEO. "Our second generation battery vehicles takes us towards a sustainable future with less dependency on fossil fuels. We are proud to lead the charge toward sustainability in mining."
The battery-driven products include 14- and 18-tonne loaders, a 42-tonne truck and a mid-sized drilling family including face drilling, production drilling and rock reinforcement rigs.
Customers using Epiroc's first-generation battery-driven machines, launched in 2016, include for Brazilian mining company Nexa Resources, which is using the Scooptram ST7 Battery in Peru. Other customers going electric include LKAB, the Swedish state-owned mining company, which plans to use Epiroc's zero emission vehicles as it expands its mining operation in northern Sweden in a sustainable way.