The electrification of mines is a hot topic these days, as miners define de-carbonization strategies that include GHG emission reduction targets that are tangibly close. Consequently, much effort is being placed on designing or adapting mines with electrification in mind. One of the more challenging areas for electrification in open pit mines is around haulage. Current available technologies that meet this challenge are in-pit crushing and conveying (IPCC) and trolley assist. However, these technologies face their own headwinds in adoption and implementation. They represent significant change in mining organization – whether it be transitional or transformational change. With this change, there is a level of uncertainty in the realized benefits. There are theoretical, calculated benefits, but then there are the challenges in achieving these.
Paramount to the success of implementing IPCC and trolley assist is proper mine planning. This presentation runs through some of the mine planning principles needed to ensure that IPCC and trolley assist are appropriately evaluated. But even good mine planning is not enough to prepare miners for these technological changes. How organizations can prepare for and manage these changes is also discussed.
