Irish decarbonisation firm CoolPlanet has invested €8m in developing technology to lower carbon emissions in the mining industry, which is estimated to be responsible for 4-7% of greenhouse gas emissions globally.

Diesel presently accounts for 30-50% of emissions at mining sites, but mining remains important during the global sustainability effort, with metals required for solar panels, batteries, and wind turbines.

CoolPlanet has pioneered AVA Geo EV technology for the mining industry that it estimates will reduce carbon emissions by 30-50%. The average mine has around 400 vehicles on site.

The technology can be retrofitted into a range of mining vehicles from different manufacturers such as Toyoto, Mitsubishi and Ford to covert them from diesel-powered to electric and equip the vehicle with driver assistance features that can reduce speed and detect miner's hard hats.

Workers can also use the vehicle to operate power tools and mining companies can use the battery to help balance the national grid when the vehicle is charging. 

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"The electricity grids of many countries are facing serious challenges, with growing warnings around energy shortages and possible blackouts. If we don’t want more coal-burning power plants, industry will need to help stabilise the grid at peak times,” said Norman Crowley, CoolPlanet founder and group CEO, adding that the first electrified mining vehicles will be deployed in Q4 of this year.

Crowley said the company had drawn from all areas of its business to create a comprehensive solution to decarbonise mining.

"Apart from the damage to the environment, diesel particulates in mines are incredibly damaging to the health and wellbeing of miners, an issue that would be solved with the deployment of electric mining vehicles," he continued.

"Anyone that commutes to work by bike knows that it can be an unpleasant and risky endeavour, due to smog, fumes and vehicles. Now imagine you're one of the hundreds of thousands of people employed by the major mining companies and work underground.

"You have to inhale the diesel particulate matter (DPM) from an average of 400 vehicles. With vehicle accidents accounting for approximately 30% of all deaths in mining every year, driver safety is a critical issue we’re addressing too."

Crowley estimated that global mining companies will have to pay over €1bn per year to power their fleets of light diesel vehicles as the price of carbon nears €100 per tonne.

The electrified mining vehicle also integrates into CoolPlanet's decarbonisation management software system, Clarity, allowing mining companies to manage and optimise their electric fleets across energy, battery management, driver safety and diagnostics.

Clarity is used by companies such as Glanbia, Bulmers, Owens-Illinois, and Hilton Food Group.

Photo: Norman Crowley and Philip Roche, commercial director of CoolPlanet.