Cooling System for Retrofitted Electric Mining Truck (EPCA-E100 project)

The Challenge 

Miners are electrifying haulage fleets as a key part of their decarbonisation strategies as diesel mining vehicles account for 30-80 per cent of direct emissions. It is estimated savings ed savings are 1,125 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year per electric vehicle (70L/hr x 6000hrs x 2.68kg/L).   

Consuming diesel is also costly to the miner. It’s estimated that each truck costs $112/hr ($1.60/L x 70L/hr), equating to $672,000 AUD (based on 6000 run hours per year). 

The key component of a battery electric truck is its batteries. WA’s hot and harsh mining environment presents a challenge as it’s likely to result in battery overheating, reducing battery life whilst increasing safety risks and downtime.  

The key technology that allows the battery to operate is the cooling system. Cooling of batteries is the key to green fleet development. This project solves the problem of overheating batteries by employing our unique cooling system, which will enable batteries to function efficiently in WA’s environment, leading to longer runtimes, higher reliability, and better performance.    

Proposed Solution 

Airborne gravimetry can quickly assess subtle variations in the density of rock types across the landscape without access to the ground, but is fundamentally limited by the accuracy of GPS data, which is used to correct data for the movement of the aircraft in which the sensor is hosted. This imposes a spatial resolution to gravimetry measurements on the order of kilometres. 

This project will adapt Australian Doppler Lidar technology being developed for a 2026 lunar landing to establish a new, patented approach to high-resolution airborne gravimetry. This approach has the potential to significantly improve the resolution and quality of airborne gravity data collected from traditional fixed-wing geophysical survey aircraft. 

The small size, weight and power requirements of the technology are also likely to allow the gravimeter to be deployed on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones). 

Proposed Benefits to WA 

This project is funded under the MRIWA Mining Technology, Equipment and Services (METS) Innovation Program. It demonstrates industry-led research which aims to develop new products, companies and markets for the Western Australian mining and minerals sector.  

The increased resolution and reduced cost of gravimetry delivered by this project will help target mineral exploration activity across vast areas of WA where potentially mineralised rocks may lie buried beneath cover. This technology is being developed by a world-leading WA company, and the new technology will be tested and deployed commercially in WA.