The project is ambitious: to become the first 100% electric surface mine in the world. To do this, Nouveau Monde Graphite will have to demonstrate the performance of its model. The company recently saw the prototypes of electrical construction equipment it will use in action.
The use of electrical equipment is not new in the mining industry. But those that exist at the moment are mainly those used in underground mines, since the advantages are obvious in terms of ventilation.
When it comes to surface mining equipment, a lot remains to be done, says Eric Desaulniers, Founder, President and CEO of Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG). For this reason, his company has been working for two years with Caterpillar, a manufacturer of construction machinery, after talking to all the manufacturers in the sector.
Caterpillar is developing fully electric mining equipment that will be tested for the first time at NMG’s Matawinie mine, located in Saint-Michel-des-Saints.
“We want to use electricity for all our equipment, from the concentrator to the bulldozers, loaders and excavators,” says Eric Desaulniers. Because his company has committed to having its operations fully electric within the first five years of production. If all goes well, this should therefore be accomplished by 2028. According to a feasibility study carried out last year, this operating model represents a potential reduction of more than 300,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions over the lifetime of mining life.
A few weeks ago, NMG visited Caterpillar’s offices in Tucson, Arizona. She was therefore able to see for the first time the prototypes of some of the equipment that will eventually be used at the Matawinie mine.
“There is a lot of work that has been done,” rejoices Eric Desaulniers. In particular, he says he is very satisfied with the financing model designed with the company: Caterpillar offers NMG the possibility of renting equipment on an hourly basis rather than necessarily having to purchase it.
“That is very important to us,” explains the president. It will reduce our capital expenditure. »
In terms of the benefits of the project, the president expects savings in energy costs – mines often run on diesel – but also in terms of equipment maintenance: electric vehicles require 10 to 50 times fewer parts to replace. Not to mention the fact that electrification has particular advantages in the mining context.
In year 5 of operation, for example, trucks will drop materials at the bottom of the pit, explains Eric Desaulniers.
“Vehicles will therefore descend charged and take advantage of regenerative braking to charge their batteries. Of course, we still have to show that our 100% electric mine can be competitive in terms of productivity, but we are well supported to do so. »
