Testing times above the Artic Circle

Trucks and buses account for a large part of CO2 emissions from the transport sector in Europe. Reducing emissions is one of the major challenges if the Paris Agreement target is to be met, and most agree that electrification is one of the technology solutions that must be employed.

In the northern winter of 2021, Volvo Trucks, ABB and Vattenfall, in collaboration with the mining company Kaunis Iron, conducted a trial to test the limits of what is possible with an electric truck.

Would it be possible to replace the normal diesel-driven transport of iron ore, from the iron ore mine in Kaunisvaara in remote northern Sweden, 100kms north of the Arctic Circle, to the trans-shipment station at the Iron Ore Railway Line, with electric trucks? And what happens to an electric truck when the temperature drops to minus 30C?

The test started in February and ran for four weeks. The task was to drive a fully battery-powered Volvo FMX to the mine in Kaunisvaara and then unload the cargo in Pitkäjärvi where the ore was transferred to the railway for further transport to the Narvik harbour in Norway. This is a 280-kilometre round trip that is normally operated by conventional diesel trucks.

Vattenfall participated through its service solution Power-as-a-Service, which included installation, operation and ensuring the function of the charging stations. Vattenfall was also the electricity supplier in the project.

Lino Martino, one of the truck drivers who drove the electric vehicle in the polar winter takes up the story: "I must say it exceeded expectations. The test proved it works with electricity. Even if the charging stops were a drawback, we were able to drive the whole distance, including 140 kilometres with 14 tonnes of ore concentrate in the tipper, from the mine to the trans-shipment station, and then back again.

“At most it dropped to -32 degrees. Then it got cold in the truck, despite the snowmobile suit I wear," he said.

Lino said the driving experience was surprisingly good. "The electric truck is in many ways similar to the one I normally drive, same type of cab and so on, just easier to drive, it's just one button for forward and reverse.

“And this truck is so quiet, you can't hear the engine. Not even when it's straining, only the tyres can be heard. And the vibrations are also much less than with a diesel. All in all, it's a much more pleasant place to work.”

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Undoubtedly, there are still challenges that need to be addressed. One of which is the range. The truck's battery capacity sets the limit, and in this test it was necessary to take a break to charge the truck both at the mine and at the trans-shipment station.

Although the trial period is now over, Lino is convinced that electrified transport will take over, sooner or later.

"Work is already underway on better batteries and more powerful charging,” he said. “But for on-site transport with only short distances to cover, electric power would work perfectly. I'm convinced that the technology will develop in the near future. That's definitely how things are going," says Lino.

Facts about the pilot project:
Trial period: February 2021
Vehicle: Battery-electric Volvo FMX
Gross weight: 32 tonnes
Load weight: Approximately 15 tonnes
Driveline: Fully electric, 400kW, with two-speed transmission
Battery: Lithium ion with a nominal capacity of 264kWh
Charger: ABB delivers three high-powered chargers of 175kW each. The chargers are expandable to 350kW and have CCS outlet sockets.