Rio Tinto will trial battery swap technology for electric haul trucks at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia by partnering with China’s State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC).
The two-year project will involve eight haul trucks with a 91t payload, 13 batteries with 800kWh of capacity, and a robotic battery swap and charging station.
The first truck is scheduled to arrive at Oyu Tolgoi this year, with the full fleet and infrastructure expected to be commissioned by mid-2025.
This innovative technology, already applied on haul trucks in mining operations across China, allows vehicles to exchange depleted batteries for charged ones, bypassing the need for static charging stations.
This swift exchange is set to minimise downtime and offer more flexibility.
The trucks will be used for tasks such as tailings dam rehabilitation and topsoil movement, with Oyu Tolgoi staff responsible for their operation and maintenance.
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The batteries are designed to last up to eight hours, depending on the task, and the swapping process is expected to take around seven minutes.
These will be used in non-production activities at the mine’s above-ground operations.
Rio Tinto chief decarbonisation officer Jonathon McCarthy said: “By partnering with the State Power Investment Corporation, we will be demonstrating the latest technology and innovation available in China and assessing its potential to help decarbonise our operations quickly and cost effectively.
“This demonstration will allow us to explore applications for battery swap technology that deliver more flexibility and less downtime than current static charging technologies. This work will complement the electrification pilots of ultra class mining haul trucks planned for the Pilbara.”
Technical experts from Rio Tinto and Oyu Tolgoi have collaborated with SPIC and truck manufacturer Tonly to customise the equipment to meet Rio Tinto’s electrical and safety standards.
Rio Tinto operates approximately 700 haul trucks globally, with 100 in the small-to-medium class range.
