Mining is one of the biggest industries globally, not just in terms of market size, but in employment numbers. In light of this, it doesn't come as a surprise that the mining industry is also one of the largest polluters in the world, and in fact, McKinsey assigns 2-3% of global CO2 emissions to the mining industry.
It's clear that mining, as an industry, is varied with a number of different raw materials being extracted from the earth, but there are also commonalities: a large percentage of mining machinery, no matter the type, is powered by diesel. McKinsey also estimates that within mining, 40-50% of carbon emissions are a result of diesel-powered machinery, which is why companies like Skeleton and Shell have identified them as key focus area for electrification. Electrifying one haul truck is the equivalent of eliminating the CO2 emissions of 11,000 passenger cars yearly, so the impact of electrification is a significant step towards a cleaner future.
"Electrifying one haul truck is the equivalent of eliminating the CO2 emissions of 11,000 passenger cars yearly”
Decarbonizing mining is a huge endeavour, requiring new technological solutions, such as the SuperBattery, to ensure safety, reliability, and importantly, a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) compared to existing solutions such as diesel-powered engines.
In October of 2022, Skeleton and Shell announced their cooperation for mining truck electrification together with a Shell-led consortium of partners, with Skeleton's new SuperBattery technology being the key component in the decarbonization efforts.
SuperBattery combines characteristics of supercapacitors and batteries in a safe and sustainable energy storage solution, allowing for fast charging (90 seconds with large mining haul trucks) and 20-30 minutes of operation time between charges. This allows for full electrification of these machines, representing a significant shift toward decarbonizing mining.
"Our SuperBattery energy storage technology fills the gap in the market between supercapacitors and li-ion batteries."
Dr. Sebastian Pohlmann
VP Automotive & Business Development
White paper - SuperBattery energy storage enabling mining electrification
Mining haul truck electrification is the first step we're tackling, but it's indeed only the first step. In this white paper, we take a look at some other electrification alternatives, such as lithium-ion batteries and hydrogen, and how supercapacitors, SuperBatteries, and Li-ion batteries stack up in comparison for high power applications.
Energy, power and charging speed are of course not the only considerations when it comes to energy storage, so we'll also take a look at the lifetime, as well as the safety of the SuperBattery technology. You can read more about safety testing for SuperBattery here.
Download our white paper today to read more about how SuperBattery allows for fast charging, electrified mining haul trucks to operate with high efficiency and the lowest TCO, and about the next steps in decarbonizing mining.
