A new generation of mining vehicles: Atlas Copco unveils full suite of battery-operated mining vehicles, covering everything from bolting and blasting to mucking and hauling.

• Author: McKinley, Karen
• Position: Sudbury

Battery-powered vehicles are taking over underground mining.

To meet current demands for cleaner technology and to stay ahead of the innovation curve, Atlas Copco has created an entire suite of battery-powered vehicles, covering the process from bolting, blasting, mucking and hauling.

They added to their ever-growing fleet with the launch of the Boomer M2C Battery driller on Aug. 2 in Sudbury to complement their fleet that includes Minetruck MT42, Scooptram ST1030, Boomer 282 and Aramine L15 miniloader, which were also showcased at the event.

"Mining is coming back and as a company, we have to stay ahead of the innovation and meet demands," said general manager Jason Smith.

"Mines are looking for ways to make the process safer and more cost-effective. These battery-powered machines have zero emissions, unlike diesel machines, and they cut down on time spent refueling and on maintenance."

Shop manager Jean Labelle and others were giving visitors a tour of the new machines, touting their features as cost-effective, safe and much cleaner than diesel.

Fumes underground, Labelle said, have been a problem plaguing the mining industry for decades and eliminating diesel altogether would cut down the hazards significantly, as well as save time and money on refueling.

"Miners had to deal with breathing in fumes in the tunnels. That caused all sorts of problems, short-term and long-term, to their health and productivity," he said.

"They couldn't smoke down there, but they had to breathe in these diesel fumes. Their health suffered greatly. These machines make it a much cleaner operation because they have next to no emissions. The batteries are completely self-contained and, like electric cars, they transfer a lot of the internal energy generated from operations like braking to energy to the battery, extending its life between charges."

Johan Jonnson, product manager boomer for Atlas Copco in Sweden, said with zero emissions coming from these new machines, ventilation in the mines will be much cleaner and safer for the miners."

While the batteries are removable, they are not interchangeable.

Jonnson explained they are different sizes for each model, but inside they have identical cells and components. As well, different models, like the Boomer M2C and ST7, have different power needs.

The ST7, he explained, can have the battery removed at a service bay and a fresh one put on while the old battery recharges. The Boomer M2C, since it is always connected...