The Brazilian miner Vale received two electric trucks that will be used in tests in its facilities in Brazil and in Indonesia. The company claims that it is the first among the giant miners to test electric trucks in mines, part of its policy of achieving zero carbon emissions until 2050.
The vehicles will be used in the operations in Minas Gerais mine of Agua Limpa and in the Indonesia mine of Sorowako.
The battery-powered 72 mt off-highway trucks will replace diesel fuel with electricity from renewable sources. Diesel fuel consumed by off-highway trucks currently represent 9 percent of Vale’s scope 01 and 02 emissions, the company said.
The equipment was produced by China’s XCMG Mining Machinery Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co. Ltd. (“XCMG”).
The trucks have batteries capable of storing 525 kWh, sufficient for more than a full day of unstoppable operations or 32 cycles along an established route.