By Wayne Chmiel, product manager-electric rope shovels, Cat Global Mining, and Michael Onsager, senior engineering technical steward-surface extraction, Cat Global Mining
Greenfield mines now have more options. Many times a new property has to be opened with smaller Diesel-powered equipment simply because there is no electrical infrastructure in place. This can be necessitated even when the mine plan would allow for larger haul units and loading tools. Cat’s patented energy storage and power management technology allows ultra-class electric machines to operate effectively on diesel generator power. When connected to a power utility, this technology lowers the machine’s peak demand, offering more flexibility on trailing cable and substation sizing, and potentially reducing the impact to the surrounding community that shares the power system.