Rio Tinto and China partners to improve EV battery tech

Rio Tinto will partner with China's State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) to demonstrate battery swap electric haul truck technology at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia, the company said on Thursday.

Battery swapping technology allows a battery electric vehicle to quickly exchange a discharged battery pack for a fully charged one, instead of recharging the vehicle at a static charging station.

The technology is already applied on haul trucks in mining operations across China, and this collaboration will enable Rio Tinto to demonstrate a complete battery-electric truck and charging ecosystem at one of its operations, it said.

The two-year project will demonstrate eight mining haul trucks, 13 batteries (800kWh), and a robotic battery swap and charging station in non-production activities in the above-ground operations.

"By partnering with State Power Investment Corporation, we will be demonstrating the latest technology and innovation available in China and assessing its potential to help decarbonize our operations quickly and cost-effectively," said Rio Tinto chief decarbonization officer Jonathon McCarthy.

"This demonstration will allow us to explore applications for battery swap technology that delivers more flexibility and less downtime than current static charging technologies. This work will complement the electrification pilots of ultra-class mining haul trucks planned for the Pilbara," he continued.

"We look forward to partnering on more opportunities in the future to apply China's innovations to the global resources sector and contribute to the world's low-carbon transition."

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn