Swedish mining company to use Volvo electric trucks for underground transport

Swedish mining group Boliden is one of the first in the world to start using battery-electric trucks for heavy underground transport.

In mining environments, electric trucks can deliver several big advantages, including no exhaust emissions, a safer workplace and quieter working conditions.

The mining industry is going through a period of rapid change, with many players shifting to more sustainable production methods to provide metals with a lower climate footprint. Just as in many other mines, exhaust gases from diesel vehicles are responsible for most of the carbon-dioxide emissions from Boliden’s mines. The company says it is committed to reducing its CO₂ emissions by 40% by 2030, and electrification of transport will play a crucial role in this goal.

The new co-operation between Boliden and Volvo Trucks means that two heavy, electric Volvo trucks will be used in Boliden’s Kankberg mine, outside Skellefteå in northern Sweden. If all trucks in the mine were to be electric, the CO₂ emissions from the mine could be reduced by more than 25%.

The trucks will operate in an environment with tough demands; 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 answers to questions about how the driveline and batteries are affected. Reduced carbon-dioxide emissions for mining transport also means that we, indirectly, will reduce our own CO₂ emissions, because the mining industry’s raw materials are used in our trucks.”

The first truck to serve the Kankberg mine, a Volvo FH Electric, 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 Volvo FH Electric will later be put into operation and used for underground transport of rock and ore.

“We see the collaboration with Volvo as a fantastic opportunity to push the electric technology forward and at the same time learn how to adapt our operations for a transition to fossil-free underground transport. A major benefit of the trucks is that they will contribute to a more sustainable mine, both in terms of emissions and also the working environment for our employees”, says Dennis Forslund, project manager at Boliden.

“In addition, the total amount of energy consumed in the mine will be lower as electric drive is more energy efficient than a diesel engine, and it is possible to capture the electricity regenerated during engine braking on downhill slopes.”

Volvo Trucks offers one of the industry’s widest range of electric trucks, with six electric truck models in series production. Its goal is for 50% of its new trucks sold in 2030 to be electric.