E-Truck:
ENEL X AND SQM BRING TO CHILE THE FIRST ELECTRIC TRUCK TO OPERATE IN THE GRAND MINING
- With a range of 200 kilometers and 28 tons of weight, the first electric mining truck in Chile will operate at SQM's sites in the Antofagasta Region, with the purpose of testing the technology and thus progressively replacing the large tonnage trucks that operate with diesel.
- Each electric mining truck of these characteristics can stop emitting about 12 tons of CO2 per year.
With the aim of testing its autonomy of movement, work capacities and operability, Enel X and SQM bring to Chile “E-Truck”, the first large-tonnage electric truck that will provide services to the country's large mining industry.
It is a 28-ton electric truck that will operate between SQM's sites in the Antofagasta Region, for which Enel X will install, together with the mining company, a high-power charger, unique in Chile.
It is expected that the new “E-Truck” for mining will carry out routes of 86 kilometers per section, from the Coya Sur plant, located in María Elena, to the port of Tocopilla, estimating a monthly route of more than 7.500 kilometers, ceasing to emit approximately 12 tons of CO2 per year.
The project seeks to test the autonomy of electric mining trucks and their constructive capabilities to work at the same level as a diesel-powered mining truck with similar characteristics. In addition, the truck operation will be validated together with its high-power charging infrastructure, and how it adapts to the normal operating schedule of the plant, its tasks and its response to the saline environment of the area.
Enel X and SQM developed a financial leasing model for the purchase of the electric truck and the installation of 1 150kW charging point that allows a 100% charge in 3 hours. The charging infrastructure will be installed at the Coya Sur plant in María Elena, guaranteeing an autonomy of close to 200 kilometers.
José Miguel Berguño, SQM Vice President of Nitrate Operations, highlighted that: “This initiative is part of our Corporate Sustainability Plan and that aims, among other environmental goals and commitments, to become carbon neutral in 2030 for the lithium business. For us this is an important milestone as one of the world leaders in the production of lithium, a key input for the development of electro mobility; whose initiative joins others such as the installation of an off-grid electric station at the Carmen Lithium Chemical Plant, and the incorporation of mobile electrical maintenance workshops, a pioneering initiative in national mining ”.
“The incorporation of the first large-tonnage electric truck for mining represents a new milestone in the development of electromobility in Chile, which we are proud to lead together with our partners from SQM. This step is a fundamental piece to move towards an increasingly clean energy matrix, and that also contributes to decarbonize and electrify the main productive sector of the country, said Karla Zapata, general manager of Enel X Chile.
The first high-tonnage electric truck to operate in Chile’s large-scale mining industry is a 28-ton Yutong ZKH5310ZLJP6BEV with a 422 kWh battery pack.
If the project is successful, It would make possible the expansion of the initiative by incorporating the Salar de Atacama - Carmen Lithium Chemical Plant route, which is the route with the highest traffic for the lithium process that has 230 trucks in service. The total potential for the replacement of diesel trucks to large-tonnage electric trucks at SQM's sites is 320 units, 90 of which are on the route of the first truck, which would be carried out in a period of 5 years.
Enel X has smart charging solutions, which aim to meet the different needs of customers through the implementation of various technologies that allow vehicle batteries to be charged in different formats, at different speeds and in different places. These are modular, scalable and turnkey solutions designed for individuals, companies, institutions and industries.
