The world's first carbon-free iron ore mine to be ready by 2025. Rana Gruber and Sandvik have signed an ambitious letter of intent.
The mining industry contributes 2 to 3 percent of global CO2 emissions and has a large role to play in emissions reduction. To achieve a 1.5°C climate-change target by 2050, the world mining industry will need to reduce direct CO2 emissions to zero. Encouragingly, an analysis from McKinsey shows that solutions to decarbonize the majority of emissions will become economic within this decade.
But Rana Gruber, the iron ore mining company in Mo i Rana, is more ambitious. The company has for decades run their processing plant by renewable electric power, but in their mines, there is room for improvements. Therefore, Rana Gruber has decided to electrify the company's heavy machine park.
In a letter of intent with their equipment supplier, SANDVIK, Rana Gruber has set a goal to make the operation of the mine completely emission-free during 2025.
For Sandvik there are even more than electric machines to deliver. To be able to run a mine 24/7, summer and winter in the arctic, there is a need for a complex electric infrastructure, and stations for quick change of the batteries.
- We will help to find out where it is best to create stations for changing the batteries. It's about finding good locations based on how the various machines are used inside the mine, says Vice President Christian Bjorne for Sandvik's operations in Northern Europe to the local newspaper, Rana Blad.
The change to be the world's first iron ore mine is already an ongoing activity for Rana Gruber. The company has for the last years bought several buses and service cars, and the company are looking forward to the rest of change.
- With today's fuel prices, I would like to already have the battery-powered machines in place. There is no doubt that running on electricity is good business. We have long-term and good electric power agreements, says Rana Gruber’s CEO, Gunnar Moe to Rana Blad.
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