China's mature 'carbon reduction plan' is being promoted globally.
The Pengpai News reporter learned from the British Australian mining giant Rio Tinto that Rio Tinto Group will cooperate with State Power Investment Corporation Limited (referred to as "State Power Investment") to carry out a pilot project for the application of pure electricity to battery mining card technology at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia.
It is worth mentioning that battery swapping technology has been widely used in mining operations in China. This technology can achieve rapid vehicle energy replenishment by replacing the battery of the electric mining card through a battery swapping station, without the need to charge the vehicle at a fixed charging facility.
It is reported that the project will last for two years and will pilot 8 mining trucks (with a load capacity of 91 tons), 13 batteries (800 kWh), and a charging and swapping station in the non production activity area of the Oyu Tolgoi open-pit mine. Rio Tinto has approximately 700 mining trucks in global operations, of which 100 are small and medium-sized mining trucks (with a load capacity of 100 to 200 tons).
Technical experts from Rio Tinto and Oyu Tolgoi mining area, together with State Power Investment Corporation's Qiyuanxin Power and truck manufacturer Tongli, have adjusted the vehicle design to meet Rio Tinto's electrical and truck safety requirements. These trucks will be responsible for carrying out tailings dam repair and surface soil transportation tasks, and will be operated and maintained by the team from the Oyu Tolgoi mining area.
The truck is designed to run for 8 hours after each charge, and the battery replacement process takes about 7 minutes. By minimizing the downtime for energy replenishment, the vehicle's attendance rate can be improved. The first truck is scheduled to arrive at the Oyu Tolgoi mining area this year, and the remaining 7 trucks and charging and swapping infrastructure will be put into use by mid-2025.
Rio Tinto stated that through this cooperation, it will also demonstrate for the first time a complete ecosystem of battery electric trucks in its business operations.
Jonathon McCarthy, Chief Carbon Reduction Officer of Rio Tinto Group, stated that through cooperation with State Power Investment Corporation, we will conduct application pilot projects targeting China's existing cutting-edge technologies and innovations, and evaluate their potential to quickly and cost effectively help us reduce operational carbon emissions.
This pilot project will help us explore the application of pure electric swapping technology, which can provide greater flexibility and reduce downtime compared to current fixed charging technologies. Miao Kesen also mentioned that this work will complement the ongoing super large mining truck electrification pilot project in Rio Tinto's Pilbara region.
Han Zhiwei, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of State Power Investment Corporation Capital Holding Co., Ltd., said, "Through our cooperation with Rio Tinto Group, we have successfully pushed our leading green transportation innovation achievements to the international market, demonstrating the strength of Chinese enterprises in the field of green technology innovation. We look forward to State Power Investment Corporation's low-carbon technology helping Rio Tinto Group achieve its emission reduction goals, and we look forward to broader global cooperation between the two sides in promoting the development of green energy
Miao Kesen previously stated in an interview with The Paper that Rio Tinto plans to invest $5 billion to $6 billion in related projects and some large-scale energy projects before 2030. At the same time, it stated that Rio Tinto's carbon reduction process is faster than the global average. "The carbon reduction progress in many regions around the world has slowed down, and our carbon reduction strategy remains unchanged. We will continue to move forward at the current pace
Miao Kesen also mentioned that in the field of carbon reduction, the connection between Rio Tinto and Chinese companies is quite close. China's energy ecosystem is our most important ecological partner. We have collaborated with many Chinese suppliers in the fields of solar energy, wind energy, and batteries. At the same time, we are also working with Chinese partners to explore breakthroughs in carbon reduction, such as green iron smelting technology and long-term energy storage
Miao Kesen specifically mentioned at that time, "China's battery supply chain has greatly promoted the reduction of the cost of high-capacity batteries, which also helps us use more renewable energy while ensuring the stability of the power system