Escondida-BHP Implementing Mining Truck Electrification System to Reduce Diesel Consumption at South American Operations

Escondida-BHP has submitted an Environmental Impact Statement (DIA) to the Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA) to advance in the Implementation of the Mining Truck Electrification System in the Escondida Norte project, which seeks to assist the movement of these pieces of equipment inside the mine utilizing a trolley system.

 

The project includes constructing a new electrical substation and transmission lines inside and around the Escondida Norte pit. These facilities will electrically help trucks move inside the mine in the areas where they go up loaded with ore and, consequently, consume more fuel. 

 

The new technology will assist in using electrical power instead of diesel, thereby reducing the operational greenhouse gas emissions and improving productivity associated with truck performance, considering the higher travel speed.

 

“The electric trolley system is one of the initiatives with which we seek to move towards a safer and more sustainable way of operating hand in hand with technology,” said President of Escondida-BHP, Alejandro Tapia. “This project will allow us to reduce the fuel consumption of our extraction trucks and thus advance our goal of net zero operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2050."

 

The initiative not only includes an investment of approximately $250 million but will also require an approximate workforce of 112 people on average per day and a maximum of 160 people during its construction phase.

 

With the incorporation of autonomy in its mining equipment, the trolley project adds to other technological transformation initiatives that the company maintains in different stages of study and execution. Escondida-BHP has six autonomous trucks in full operation and expects to have the largest fleet of autonomous equipment in South America by 2025.