ABB and Perenti awarded Australian all-electric mine study

ABB has announced that ABB and mining services group Perenti have been awarded a first contract by Australian mine operator IGO Ltd. to provide an all-electric mine study for the full underground electrification of IGO’s Cosmos Nickel Project in Western Australia.

Experts from the three companies will work together to provide a pathway for the optimum design of mine electrification at the mine. This will include mine design optimisation for electric operations, production and operating philosophy, fleet selection, power distribution and electrical infrastructure design, electrification system and battery management, ESG and safety impact analysis, and cost modelling for both Capex and Opex.

The study is a significant step in IGO’s commitment to continuously improving its sustainability performance by trialling new technologies and decarbonising its operations, helping to create a cleaner energy future. The mine operator’s aspiration is to implement a complete mine electrification solution at Cosmos by mid-2025.

Perenti’s mining expertise and technical capabilities have been combined with ABB’s eMine framework and approach for electrification and automation.

“At IGO, we believe in a cleaner energy future, and that extends to our underground mining operations where the electrification of our fleets will create a safer, greener and more productive operation,” said Chris Carr, IGO Head of Technical Services. “We are excited about this future and our collaboration with Perenti and ABB to make this a reality.”

“Valuing the environment and enabling the energy transition is one of Perenti’s three key sustainability imperatives, and this study demonstrates the capabilities of our electrification collaboration with ABB,” said Mark Norwell, Managing Director & CEO, Perenti. “Decarbonisation and electrification are critical to the future of mining, and we are privileged to be working with our client IGO on this pioneering study.”

“Congratulations to IGO on taking on such an ambitious project, which, combined with their renewable power project, will largely decarbonise their Cosmos mining operations,” said Max Luedtke, Vice President and Business Line Mining Manager, ABB. “The progress between ABB and Perenti is advancing every day, and this study is an ideal opportunity to further our efforts and collectively drive towards providing electric solutions that effectively decarbonise the mining industry. At ABB, we take pride in sharing our eMine approach for electrification and automation, spanning from pit to port, through such effective collaborations within the industry.”