Volvo Trucks and Swedish mining company Boliden have teamed up to implement electric truck transport in underground environments.

Exhaust gases from diesel vehicles are responsible for most of the carbon dioxide emissions from Boliden’s mines. The company is committed to reducing its CO₂ emissions by 40% by 2030, in which the electrification of transport is expected to play a critical role, according to the company.

According to the agreement, two heavy Volvo FH Electric trucks will be used in Boliden’s Kankberg mine outside Skellefteå in northern Sweden. The first truck will be used to transport rock bolts and other equipment into the mine and will be put into service in 2023. Based on the experience with the first truck, another one will later be put into operation and used for the underground transport of rock and ore.

If all trucks in the mine were to be electric, the CO₂ emissions from the mine could be reduced by more than 25%, says the company.

“This is an exciting collaboration in a tough environment; steep slopes, heavy loads and humid air that wears on the vehicles,” says Jessica Lindholm, project manager at Volvo Trucks. “The collaboration with Boliden will give us valuable knowledge about the performance of electric trucks when driven underground, and provide insight into how the driveline and batteries are affected.”

Source: Volvo Trucks