October 18, 2024
Electric cars are becoming increasingly common on Australian roads, and industrial players are investigating their use in commercial fleets, with one recent study from the University of Michigan finding electric trucks can reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by between 13% and 35% Research firm IDTechEx expects electric trucks to become a US$15bn industry. Could the same change transform mining? If so, we're a long way off—a 2022 study said only 1% of industry power came from electricity—but plans are accelerating. Several Australian industry players and their supply chain partners are members of the Electric Mine Consortium, a think tank driven by the mission to accelerate progress towards a fully electrified zero-CO2 and zero-particulates mine. As a spokesperson from automation technology provider Rockwell Automation told us, mine site tools are fertile ground for adopting wide-scale electric power. “Most mines are in places with lots of renewable energy, and many are a long way from the grid and have to run generators,” he said. “It's…