After a titanic work between the public and private sectors in Chile, in which a large electromobility ecosystem is being developed within the mining sector, the first 100% electric LHD loader in South America has been presented.
The testing phase is being carried out at Codelco’s El Teniente Division. The equipment, which has been operating since November at the Diablo Regimiento mine, will complete its first stage of testing in April, at which time a preliminary performance evaluation will be carried out to continue with the second cycle of the pilot for another six months.
To observe the behavior of the machine, representatives of the company Epiroc, which developed this front loader, traveled from Sweden to see its operation in the field at the deposit located in the O’Higgins Region. Corporate and divisional executives also participated in the visit.
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Features and Benefits
The equipment has a load capacity of up to 14 tons and does not generate direct greenhouse gas emissions. It reduces energy costs by 70% and improves the quality of life of operators by emitting less noise and vibration.
“We hope to confirm the indicators that this equipment could achieve, project it in a future operation and develop a path of electromobility with a greater amount of equipment in the fleet,” said Codelco’s Corporate Innovation Manager, Sebastián Gil.
Gonzalo Ramírez, Codelco‘s Corporate Director of Innovation in Process Decarbonization, highlighted the collaborative work between Epiroc and Codelco.
“The change from diesel to electricity generates adaptive challenges from the operational point of view, which requires rethinking certain processes and procedures to maximize the use of this shovel. Challenges that are shared by both companies,” he said.
In the same vein, John Swift, Epiroc Chile‘s General Manager, pointed out that “both companies have aligned visions and goals, so it is easy to solve problems together. We expect more learning, that the team will work as planned and that it will have a significant impact on Codelco’s operations, sustainability and working conditions for the operators”.
