Volvo Trucks and Boliden partner to introduce electric trucks in underground mines

Volvo Trucks and Boliden partner to introduce electric trucks in underground mines

(IN BRIEF) Volvo Trucks and mining company Boliden are partnering to introduce electric truck transport in underground environments. The partnership will involve Boliden using two heavy, electric Volvo trucks in their Kankberg mine, outside Skellefteå in northern Sweden. The electric trucks will offer several advantages, including no exhaust emissions, a safer workplace, and quieter working conditions. Boliden aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030, and the new cooperation agreement will help reduce the carbon footprint of Boliden’s mines. Volvo Trucks offers the industry’s widest range of electric trucks, and the company’s goal is that 50% of its new trucks sold in 2030 should be electric.

(PRESS RELEASE) GOTHENBURG, 21-Mar-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — The Volvo Group (STO: VOLV-B), a Swedish multinational manufacturing company, announces that its truck manufacturing division Volvo Trucks and mining company Boliden are partnering to implement electric truck transport in underground environments. Boliden, a Swedish mining group, will become one of the first in the world to use battery-electric trucks for heavy underground transport starting in 2023.

The cooperation agreement 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. The first truck, a Volvo FH Electric, will transport rock bolts and equipment down into the mine and will be put into service in 2023. Based on the first truck’s experience, another Volvo FH Electric will be put into operation for underground transport of rock and ore.

In mining environments, electric trucks can provide several advantages, including no exhaust emissions, a safer workplace, and quieter working conditions. The mining industry is today going through a period of rapid change, with many players shifting to more sustainable production methods to provide metals with a lower climate footprint.

“This is an exciting collaboration in an environment with very 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.”

Boliden aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030, and electrification of transport will play a critical role in achieving this goal. The new cooperation agreement between Boliden and Volvo Trucks will help reduce the carbon footprint of Boliden’s mines. If all trucks in the mine were to be electric, the CO2 emissions from the mine could be reduced by more than 25%.

“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”, comments 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 the industry’s widest range of electric trucks, and the company’s goal is that 50% of its new trucks sold in 2030 should be electric. Volvo Trucks is the market leader in heavy electric trucks in Europe and the USA, and its electric trucks can cover many different transport needs, ranging from urban distribution and refuse disposal to regional transport and construction traffic.

The partnership between Boliden and Volvo Trucks demonstrates a shared commitment to sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint of the mining industry.

About Boliden
Boliden is a metals company with a focus on sustainable development. Its roots are Nordic, the market global. The core competence lies within the fields of exploration, mining, smelting and metal recycling. Boliden has around 6,000 employees and annual sales of approximately SEK 85 billion. The share is listed in the Large Cap segment on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm.
For further information, please contact:
Jan Strandhede
Media Relations Director, Volvo Trucks
jan.strandhede@volvo.com
+46 31 3233715, +46 765 533715
Press images and films are available in the Volvo Trucks image and film gallery at http://images.volvotrucks.com/

Volvo Trucks supplies complete transport solutions for discerning professional customers with its full range of medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Customer support is provided via a global network of dealers with 2,300 service points in about 130 countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 12 countries across the globe. In 2022 approximately 145,000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Volvo Trucks is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction equipment and marine and industrial engines. The group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. Volvo Trucks’ work is based on the core values of quality, safety and environmental care.

SOURCE: AB Volvo