Creating smart battery solutions
Sandvik is a world leader in electrical mining equipment, but it doesn’t stop there. The company also creates the batteries used in its machines.
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are the future of the mining industry and a prioritized focus area for Sandvik. Tommi Valkonen, New Technology Strategy Manager for the Load & Haul Division, leads efforts to identify and implement emerging technologies. “Our focus is on accelerating the integration of new technologies, which could mean finding better battery chemistries to use in our BEVs in the future, or other technologies that help our electric offering perform better,” he explains.
For underground loaders and trucks, Sandvik maintains in-house capabilities for battery system design and manufacturing. This enables the development of mining-specific solutions and accelerates the speed of introducing new customer-focused innovations. Sandvik charging stations allow battery changes in about three minutes with the supporting systems Autoswap™ and AutoConnect™. The operator drives to the swapping bay, lowers the depleted battery and retrieves a fully charged one.
Up to 5 hours per charge
The batteries used by Sandvik are based on lithium-ion battery cells, using LFP technology. The full battery systems on a loader or a truck today have a capacity of 410 kWh, which is enough for 3–5 hours of operation per charge, while the full battery system on an underground drill rig has a capacity of 121 kWh, enough for 4–6 kilometers of driving up a mining ramp.
“Our deployed BEV fleets have demonstrated clear advantages in both productivity and environmental performance,” Valkonen notes. “And having those in-house capabilities has allowed us to, for example, add 36 percent more capacity between subsequent battery module design generations.”
Secondary applications
With equipment operational lifespans of 5−6 years and batteries typically requiring one replacement during this period, Sandvik takes a proactive approach to life-cycle management.
In the lithium-ion battery industry, batteries are typically considered to be at end-of-life at 80 percent capacity. However, mining operations present unique opportunities to utilize this remaining capacity. Sandvik batteries from high-consumption vehicles, such as trucks, can be repurposed for equipment with lower energy requirements, such as loaders, or be integrated into stationary energy storage systems, supporting site infrastructure such as lighting and charging stations.
End-of-life management
When batteries reach the end of their operational life, Sandvik ensures responsible recycling through regional partnerships. While China currently dominates recycling capabilities, initiatives are underway to develop facilities in North America, Europe and elsewhere, creating a more efficient network.
Digital innovation supports these efforts through battery passports – tracking systems that monitor life-cycle data and ownership. “This technology enables immediate access to battery usage history and performance metrics through QR code scanning, for example,” says Valkonen.
We are proud to be at the forefront of enabling the fully electric mine of the future.
"As pioneers in mining electrification, we are committed to driving this transformation through continued innovation."
Steps in the battery value chain
1. Raw material extraction: Mining of lithium, cobalt, nickel, iron ore and other battery materials.
2. Material refinement: Processing for battery production.
3. Cell manufacturing: Battery cell production.
4. System integration: Assembly into battery systems.
5. Primary use: Vehicles and mining equipment.
6. Secondary use: Energy storage solutions.
7. Recycling: Material recovery and reuse.