Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems presented its vision and mtu concepts for net zero-carbon mining operations at MINExpo 2021 in Las Vegas this week.
The firm says its new mtu concept for a hybrid haul truck could help cut CO2 emissions by as much as 30%. It is based on existing mtu products and technologies including: a state-of-the-art 12V 2000 mining engine, together with an mtu EnergyPack battery system.
Rolls-Royce also presented its climate-friendly microgrid solutions at MINExpo 2021 for mining customers and future technologies such as sustainable fuels, fuel cells and combustion engines running on hydrogen. Rolls-Royce says its mtu engines can help bring down emissions and operating costs for a wide range of mining applications.
Scott Woodruff, head of Rolls-Royce’s global mining business, said: “Our environment is a critical topic for the mining industry. Mining companies are leading change and holding themselves accountable with ambitious, responsible targets to reduce emissions. We will use MINExpo to discuss with the industry how we can help them reach these targets and achieve net zero emissions.”
Rolls-Royce has a plan with sequential steps for the mining industry: from existing Tier 4 technology – which already reduces CO2 emissions by up to 6% compared to Tier 2 engines – to the use of sustainable fuels and new technologies, such as fuel cells and combustion engines running on hydrogen.
The latest and possibly most spectacular idea is the mtu hybrid haul truck concept. Alexander Richter, mining application engineer at Rolls-Royce and the mastermind behind the concept, explained: “We envision equipping haul trucks with a combination of mtu diesel engines and batteries; our mtu EnergyPacks. The batteries are recharged by recuperating braking energy when going downhill. This stored energy is used to provide power to the loaded truck when going uphill. This allows us to replace the existing engine with a downsized one, leading to huge fuel savings and a meaningful reduction in CO2 emissions.”
Rolls-Royce has simulated operations with a haul truck whose mtu 16V 4000 engine, with an output of 1865 KW, is replaced by a 16V 2000 engine, with an output of 1163 KW, leading to a reduction in CO2 emissions of 20 to 30%, depending on the topographic profile – all with identical performance to the conventional version of the truck. The concept uses existing components and will be realized by Rolls-Royce in partnership with customers.
