Beyonder and Midwest to electrify heavy mining trucks
New battery technology developed in Norway is being trialed in Indian mines
Press release:
Beyonder and Midwest have resolved to work together towards retrofitting the existing fleets of ice powered mining vehicles into electric vehicles.
Two real-life pilots will be put into operation in mines operated by Midwest in India to demonstrate the solution while evaluating other areas of application of the solution.
Electrification of such trucks will eliminate the toxic emissions emitted from burning of fossil fuels and reduce sound pollution and vibration. It will further help in gaining and conserving energy through regenerative energy capture and help meet peak power requirements. This shift is expected to yield considerable savings in the total cost of mining operation for the miners.
The Problem
Open pit mining is adopted in mining of bulk minerals such as iron ore, coal, bauxite, limestone, construction sand and aggregates and this is increasingly replacing the underground mining in India.
The open cast mining provides inputs and essential raw materials for the Indian industry and economy. However, it also presents enormous challenges to the sustenance of the ecosystem particularly in vulnerable regions.
The major issue arising from deployment of huge ICE vehicles in mining is the emissions released comprising of CO, CO2, SOx NOx, PM-2.5, benzene and other volatile organic compounds,(VOCs ) metals such as lead, arsenic causing serious air pollution, harm to public health and long-term damage to the environment
In addition, the vehicles cause serious sound pollution and vibration leading to operator fatigue and discomfort in addition to disturbance to workers and neighboring communities.
Mining in the deeper open pits requires steep ramps for transport of mineral, mine waste, men and material and demand deployment of high-powered trucks guzzling enormous quantities of fuel and emitting humongous quantities of emissions. Most of these emissions remain trapped in the pit for a considerable time in the absence of adequate venting. The concentration of emissions and consequent deterioration in the air quality leads to serious harm to the health of the mine workers, as well as the communities living in the vicinity.
Containment, limiting and eliminating the air pollution and its consequent harmful effects is key to achieve a desirable balance between economic development and environmental sustainability. Failure to achieve such balance will defeat the very purpose of economic advancement and its sustainability.
The Solution
While electrification tops the chart among the available solutions, it comes with its own limitations and challenges such as high acquisition costs, safety concerns, issues of reliability and ease of use. Any effort of electrification must address and remediate these issues.
Beyonder - Midwest team will strive to overcome the current limitations and disadvantages of electrification by adopting an innovative design and integration of a suit of emerging technologies led by beneficially incorporating a hybrid capacitor, a proprietary offering from the stable of Beyonder.
This solution is expected to accrue immense benefit to the mining personnel as well as the communities living in its vicinity of mining. It will clean up the air, reduce sound pollution, enhance the availability and quality of power and eventually reducing the operating costs.
About Beyonder
Beyonder is a Norwegian energy technology company that has developed the next generation of sustainable Li-ion capacitors and supercapacitors for the heavy-duty industry sector. Founded in 2016, Beyonder is set to be the first battery manufacturer to have a full range production line. With the pilot production line brought into operation, the company plans to invest in a large-scale production facility by 2024. For further information, please visit www.beyonder.no.
Beyonder has developed and patented the world´s first truly sustainable energy storage solution utilising activated carbon from forest residue (sawdust) in the battery cells. With its unique high power-technology, Beyonder will produce safe battery cells with ultra-fast charging capability, improved energy and vastly longer life cycle thus supporting emission free energy storage solutions for mobility and industrial applications.
About Midwest Energy
Midwest Energy is part of an India based mining Group with its existence spanning over four decades with a national leadership position in export of natural stone products. The core activity of the group being Mineral exploration, mining, processing, powder metallurgy ICT etc., It operates a number of open pit mines and exports the mineral products to over 30 countries, it has promoted and nurtured Midwest Energy as a technology platform targeting decarbonization of mining and mineral transport sectors to result in environmental and economic benefits to mining industry, its neighborhood and the consumers.
Midwest aspires to focus and add value in the areas of energy generation, storage, transfer, management, conservation, greening and sustainability. While its application focus centers around mining and mineral transport, it will strive to port the solutions across to wider sectors. For further information, please visit www.midwestgranite.com / www.midwestenergy.in.
Teaming Up
The objective is to pool our resources in a unified effort to deliver safe, reliable, easy to deploy and cost-effective solutions to benefit the mining personnel, the mining activity and the peripheral communities. The objective is to further support renewable energy initiatives, improve energy conservation, sustainability, security and decentralization.
While adoption of electric mobility is making fast strides in transport of passenger and cargo vehicles, electrification of mining machinery in general and heavy haul trucks in particular has been quite slow. Hence, the easiest and most effective solution is electrification of existing haul trucks. Here, Beyonder’s lithium-ion capacitors are excellent tools to power the electric vehicles leveraging their thermal stability, improved safety, quick charge and high power, says Ms. Soumya Kukreti, CEO of Midwest Energy.
Midwest´s ambitions to utilize technological innovations to combat environmental issues is in line with Beyonder´s goal to use our environmental commitment and industrial know-how to bring a change to emissions where it really matters. We are grateful to Ambassador of India in Norway and a local entrepreneur Mr. Prem Prakash for facilitating the contacts between Midwest and Beyonder that resulted in this agreement, says Svein Kvernstuen, CEO of Beyonder.
The Union
The introduction and initiation of collaboration between Beyonder and Midwest has been facilitated by the Ambassador of India in Norway and Mr. Prem Prakash, a local entrepreneur in Stavanger, Norway.
The limitation of using a large lithium battery pack to provide enormous power required by the power train of the heavy-duty truck is sought to be overcome by deploying a smaller stack of hybrid capacitors developed by Beyonder. Apart from delivering high power, these capacitors can be charged at ultra-high speeds of up to 30C and help increase beneficial regenerative breaking energy capture.
The team is developing suitable charging systems to support such fast charge rates.
Positive Impact
Mining is a core activity effecting vast number of user industries in India. There are close to 3000 mines in India providing direct employment to over one million people. A large number of this workforce is threatened with continued exposure to a high level of polluted and toxic air and its consequent serious health hazards eventually leading to shortened life span and degraded quality of life.
India´s transition to a lower-carbon future through electrification of industrial machineries and processes represent an enormous market potential for Beyonder’s energy storage solutions and an opportunity to Midwest to reach its objective of creating a carbon free sustainable and healthier mining ecosystem.
Contact information
Beyonder
Stokkamyrveien 30,
4313 Sandnes, Norway
www.beyonder.no
Midwest Energy
8-3-684/25&26, Road No.12,
Banjara Hills
Hyderabad-500034
www.midwestenergy.in
