The Hon Josh Wilson MP, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Rowan Holzberger MP, Member for Forde
The Albanese Government is tackling diesel emissions in the hard-to-abate mining sector by backing BluVein, an Australian innovative mining electrification company, to develop a first-of-its-kind charger for heavy haulage EV trucks.
Awarded $9 million through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), BluVein will trial its Australian-first 'hammer and rail' charging system at Heidelberg's Wolffdene quarry in Queensland.
The system works to power and charge heavy haulage battery electric mining vehicles while they're in motion and can be adapted to suit a range of different mine layouts.
Cleaner, quieter, cheaper to run, and more powerful than the diesel equivalent, electric mining vehicles will have huge benefits for the mining industry.
- Charging heavy vehicles on the go removes the need for trucks to leave a worksite to refuel, maximising the time spent hauling.
- Moving from diesel to electric-powered vehicles will save billions of litres of fuel a year at mine and quarry sites across the country while significantly cutting mining emissions.
The technology demonstration will first target the 1 MW plus BluVein rail and connector system installed on a battery-electric underground mine truck, before progressing to an 8 MW rail and connector version designed for surface haulage mine trucks over 240 tons.
A 1 MW charger provides about 20 times the power - and the speed - of a typical fast charger for road-going electric vehicles.
ARENA's Powering the Regions Fund - Industrial Transformation Stream is dedicated to funding and supporting innovation like the BluVein project to cut emissions in sectors including mining and heavy industry.
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Josh Wilson:
"This project shows that homegrown innovation can secure a future for Australian industries, while providing a pathway to net zero and laying the foundation for a Future Made in Australia.
"In mines and quarries across Australia, heavy vehicles are burning billions of litres of diesel a year and churning through billions of dollars in the process. This new technology could help accelerate the shift to an efficient, electrified, low-emissions Australian mining fleet.
"More and more mine sites are investing in onsite solar arrays, wind turbines and large-scale batteries to reduce fuel costs and reduce emissions. As the grid moves towards 82% renewables, EV mining vehicles present the next opportunity to decarbonise this hard-to-abate sector.
"Thanks to technology like this, we're starting to realise the benefits of battery-electric mining vehicles - not only as a cleaner, cheaper-to-run alternative, but as an option with the potential to be more productive and more valuable than diesel-powered versions."
Quotes attributable to Member for Forde, Rowan Holzberger:
"It's fantastic to see that Australian innovations like BluVein's world-first 'hammer and rail' charging technology will be demonstrated and advanced right here in the Gold Coast hinterland.
"By foregrounding the electrification of Australia's mining heavy vehicle fleet, this project will contribute to the Albanese Government's broader body of renewable energy work that is already shifting our economy onto a cleaner, cheaper, and more sustainable footing."
