Let us present the first finalist of SIP STRIM Swedish Mining Innovation Award. It is Boliden’s electric trolley solution in Aitik and the group behind the innovation that has been appointed as one of the finalists. The project group, which consists of representatives from Boliden, ABB, Eitech and Pon Mining, has with great ingenuity taken the trolley solution to a new level and demonstrated that it is possible to electrify one of Sweden’s largest diesel consumers, the mining truck.
Similar solutions exist in Africa, but the challenge has been to develop a robust solution adapted to our Arctic climate, which at the same time is suitable for open pit mines with limited ramp width. The solution reduces CO2 emissions by 80% and diesel consumption by 30-50% compared to the previous solution.
– Of course, it feels tremendously honorable to have made it to the final in the Swedish Mining Innovation Award, and it feels even better given the fantastic team effort that lay behind the project where people from the mining industry and the rail industry contributed with widely different skills and achieved one of the mining industry’s most innovative solutions 2019 , says Jonas Ranggård, Manager Boliden Mines Energy Program.
In the autumn, the strategic innovation program SIP STRIM invited nominations for mining innovations to the new SIP STRIM Swedish Mining Innovation Award. The award aims to reward an innovation, project or other that has been of great importance to mining and innovation Sweden, and the nomination process has confirmed that Sweden is rich in fine solutions.
– We have received so many great contributions. Boliden’s electric trolley solution is a clear finalist and, through great inventiveness, they have shown the way forward towards achieving a climate neutral metal production. The solution with the electric trolley in Aitik has a positive effect on many sustainability aspects such as productivity, reduced climate impact and improved work environment, says Jenny Greberg, program director at SIP STRIM as well as the chair of the jury, and continues – But the jury also wants to highlight that Boliden is an excellent example of a large company that succeed in developing new solutions by giving small groups of innovative people the opportunity to create new solutions to major problems, this is an important part of the innovation force.
The jury consists of chair Jenny Greberg, program director SIP STRIM, Lennart Evrell, board member SCA, Swedish Enterprise and Epiroc, Maria Sunér Flemming, CEO Svemin and Margareta Groth, unit manager Industrial Development, Vinnova.
Two more finalists will be released this week, and the final winner of the SIP STRIM Swedish Mining Innovation Award will be announced at Svemin’s Autumn Meeting at Nalen in Stockholm on November 27.
