Swedish state-owned mining company LKAB is nearing completion of the first phase of testing the electric Scania Heavy Tipper truck above ground in Malmberget, Sweden after approximately 50,000 km driven.
The battery-powered trucks are part of LKAB’s goal to electrify the vehicle fleet throughout its value chain, from mine to finished product. LKAB brought the Heavy Tipper to Malmberget to be tested and developed on-site in collaboration with Scania.
Since December 2022, the truck has transported over 300,000 tons of material. Every load, every shift, has been logged to enable a thorough evaluation.
“One thing we encountered was problems with cold oil in the hydraulics of the tailgate, which occurred because we don’t get the excess heat that a diesel engine provides. No one had predicted that problem, but it was solved with an auxiliary heater on the hydraulic tank,” said Peter Gustavsson, Project Manager for the electrification of the Malmberget mine. “Another thing we learned was that you have to start exercising the truck’s brakes because they rarely need to be used, as you regenerate energy back to the battery instead of using the brake.”
“The next step is to evaluate the same truck underground as well,” Gustavsson added. “In the fall, a new, larger Heavy Tipper with four axles, approximately 40 tons of load capacity, twice the battery pack, and higher charging speed will arrive. Around the same time, two new electric tractor-trailers that can load 70-85 tons will also begin to be evaluated in the Malmberget mine.”
Source: LKAB