SWITZERLAND
Duratray’s Suspended Dump Body has resulted to be the perfect match for the first environmentally friendly lithium-ion powered truck operating in Switzerland since January 2018.
This unprecedented product is the successful result of ongoing collaboration between Duratray and international energy specialist Kuhn Group, which combines Duratray’s low-noise, low-carryback suspended dump body (SDB) with Kuhn’s expertise in producing an eco-friendly truck.
The game-changer concept, backed by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, is the fact that the Komatsu HD605 truck does not use fuel or emit any CO2 during its trips. Instead, the truck generates electricity on the laden downhill run, which is stored in its large battery. Some of this energy is used to power it unladen back up to the extraction area, with the surplus fed into the grid overnight.
During each of the 20 downhill runs, the batteries are charged by 40 KWhr, making the vehicle a net electricity exporter. This surplus is estimated at up to 200 KWhr per day.
“We are working in this project with Kuhn because the industry needs to approach sustainability vision with trucks, not only through the engines, but also with the body. We have been working on this for more than two years, and really believe it will be a game changer for the industry.” said Duratray President Manuel Medel.
Duratray’s SDB provides an outstanding complement to the project’s goal to make mining environmentally friendly as it reduces noise and carry-back, which in turn decreases waste and repeat trips, improving overall efficiency.
The project has proved efficient, which will lead to additional orders in the coming years.
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