Por: Gianfranco Vega Milón, Volcan Compañía Minera. 

Abstract

EIn underground mining, haulage using dump trucks is a key stage of the mining cycle, as these units travel long distances on a daily basis to transport ore. Diesel dump trucks generate high operating costs, mainly due to their significant fuel consumption (whose price is unstable) and expose workers to polluting emissions and heat within the mine.

For this reason, the use of electric dump trucks has emerged as an alternative aligned with the need to reduce haulage costs and ensure the sustainability of the San Cristóbal mining operation.

This study focuses on evaluating the technical and economic feasibility of replacing diesel dump trucks with electric ones through the application of the Choosing by Advantages (CBA) method. This decision-making tool made it possible to compare both alternatives by considering key factors such as operating costs, productivity, technical viability, and economic feasibility.

The results showed that electric dump trucks deliver superior performance, with an additional 25% torque. From an economic standpoint, energy consumption savings of approximately 86% were achieved, along with a reduction in operating costs of USD 212.46 per hour, representing a 32% cost savings.

In addition, their implementation helps reduce personnel exposure to polluting gases, lowering the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) in the working environment by more than 1 °C and preventing the emission of 2,003 tonnes of CO₂, thereby making a significant contribution to reducing the carbon footprint.

This research demonstrates that electric dump trucks are economically viable for the mining operation analyzed and offer greater long-term profitability compared to diesel dump trucks.