Sandvik unveils second battery-electric surface drill rig

With decarbonisation efforts accelerating across the mining sector, Sandvik has unveiled its second battery-electric concept surface drill rig.

This vehicle is the first in its size class, is capable of drilling holes up to 229m in diameter and can blend the autonomy of battery with the continuous endurance of power cable.

Electric surface rigs typically depend solely on a tethered cable as the power source but Sandvik’s second battery-electric surface drill rig pushes the potential of more sustainable surface drilling.

The battery provides power for up to one hour of drilling or seven hours of tramming, and the battery is primarily intended for tramming and drilling individual holes while the bulk of a pattern is carried out via power from the 180m tethered cable.

Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions vice president of research and development, surface drilling division Lauri Laihanen commented on the rig.

“With the industry shifting towards intelligent, autonomous and emission-free equipment, surface drill rigs need to be reinvented. This new concept rig elevates electric surface drilling,” he said.

“The battery means greater freedom and flexibility and more efficient use of time, as the rig can drill immediately while the cable is being set up.”

The cable setup was designed to be as effortless as possible, with the cable able to tighten itself automatically according to the direction the rig is moved and wound on a single layer.

Sandvik will test this drill rig in real-world surface mining environments in collaboration with mining customers.