Shell establishes consortium to develop mining electrification solutions
Shell is leading an international consortium to accelerate electrification of off-road vehicles in the mining sector where mobile equipment is responsible for between 40 and 50 per cent of the sector’s total CO2 emissions.
With nine members made up of Skeleton, Microvast, Stäubli, Carnegie Robotics, Heliox, Spirae, Alliance Automation, Worley and Shell, the consortium brings together expertise in innovative, high-powered battery solutions with ultrafast charging and a standardised micro-grid energy system with renewable electricity generation on-site or through the grid.
As an alternative energy source, electrification offers off-road industries the immediate potential to shift away from a reliance on diesel. By 2030, it is estimated that a battery-electric haulage truck will lower total cost of ownership, involve 20 per cent lower maintenance costs, and incur 40 per cent lower fuel costs than existing diesel trucks.
The Mining Electrification Solutions for Off-Road Vehicles consortium aims to establish “an end-to-end and interoperable electrification system that reduces emissions without compromising on efficiency or safety, while aiming to be cost competitive versus diesel-powered operations.”
“It is increasingly clear that no one, single organisation can solve decarbonisation alone,” said Grischa Sauerberg, Vice President, Sectoral Decarbonisation & Innovation at Shell. “The need for a collaborative effort is particularly evident within carbon-intensive industries like mining, where the challenges are great but the opportunities are even greater. To overcome these challenges and unlock these opportunities, Shell is helping to bring together some of the sector’s most innovative companies – with electrification proving an important first step towards the shaping of a clear decarbonisation pathway.”
Shell’s Mining Electrification Solutions for Off-Road Vehicles will support:
Power provisioning and microgrids: aim to provide a consistent and reliable supply of renewable power in a safe and stable manner
Ultra-fast charging: taking approximately 90 seconds via flexible, hardwearing and resilient, on-site, ultrafast charge-points, which provide assets with continuous operations in the most challenging of environments
In-vehicle energy storage: through a combination of advanced battery and capacitor technologies that aim to deliver long lifetimes, ultra-fast charging and high performance
As a result, mining operators are set to benefit from an integrated electrification solution that:
Is end-to-end, covering the full journey of the electron from generation to delivery in the drive train
Is interoperable between different Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) make and models, giving mining operators greater flexibility
Is modular in design to allow mining customers the opportunity to tailor solutions to their specific needs
Reduces emissions without compromising on operational efficiency or safety
“The challenge of decarbonisation is immense, but not impossible – providing collaboration and innovation go hand in hand at all times,” said Sauerberg, adding “As Shell works together with customers and partners towards a new, cleaner era for mining, it is important to attract leading companies from other sectors of the economy who also want to make a positive contribution to reducing emissions.”