Powering the Future of Mining

Exploring the Advantages of Battery-Powered Machines

Reducing the environmental impact of the mining industry has become the main challenge for the next decades. While the narrow vein mining method reduces the waste with smaller galleries, electrifying the mine is the next step toward more sustainable mining. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) offer several advantages that place them as the best alternative to traditional diesel-powered mining machines. The following article gives an overview of the advantage of battery power sources for underground mining equipment.

Aramine, pioneer in the battery-powered mining loader:

Offering sustainable solutions has always been part of Aramine’s DNA. After developing the remanufacturing of underground mining equipment to reduce waste, Aramine searched for an alternative to diesel-powered for the new equipment line. Aramine’s first electric-powered machine was launched in 2005 with a cable reel and an innovative automatic reeling. It was a great first step and quickly increased the machine sales, but the cable was reducing the flexibility of a rubber-mounted machine. In 2016, the company launched the first battery-powered underground mining loader: the L140B. Coming with a removable battery module, the innovative battery Quick Replacement System (QRS) is a real revolution in electric-powered mining machines. In constant development, the capacity of the battery has increased from 24kWh to 42kWh, offering a longer autonomy with the same performance. The fleet of miniLoader® L140B is today scattered around the world. In 2023, Aramine will launch the biggest battery-powered underground mining loader of its range, the L440B (4.2-ton bucket capacity).