An electric rail system is redefining haulage from mine to mill.
Haulage is one of the most emission-intensive parts of mining operations, responsible for 30% to 60% of mine site emissions. This is primarily driven by diesel-powered truck fleets operating over long distances on surface mines, with high fuel burn, idle time, and maintenance overhead contributing heavily to emissions.
While the environmental impact of these vehicles is significant, what they accomplish is a necessary part of mining operations. Around the world, diesel truck fleets carry billions of tonnes of ore across mine sites each year, supporting the extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals.
Because of the vital contribution of haulage and its diesel-soaked roots in the industry, decarbonising the process is no simple task. Constant reliance on haul roads means that existing haul roads as a blueprint across rough terrain. Any sustainable method replacing diesel trucks must be capable of traversing steep inclines and declines and fit through tight workspaces.
Introducing Riino
Canadian mining consultant Riino is creating a solution that can operate across a range of difficult terrains. The company aims to replace diesel trucks with fully electric, automated rail haulage.
The company began in CEO Aaron Lambert’s basement six years ago, with a demonstration site under its belt in Sudbury, Ontario, and full-scale pilot site hopefully around the corner.
Riino’s modular fixed-path rail system can adapt to suit a mine’s haulage routes, even those along tight areas, sensitive terrain and inclines and declines up to 20%. This includes underground and overground conditions, where the rail could avoid wildlife crossings by reaching up to 20 feet in the air, for example.
“Every site has its own unique needs, its own unique structure,” says Riino director of communications and marketing Miranda McColman.
In fact, the structure of a mine could change with the implementation of the Riino rail system, as the system operates on a narrow, fixed rail guideway that requires less space than a fleet of diesel-powered trucks.
The guideway also reduces or eliminates grading, overburden removal, and surface compaction. The railway system could help to achieve up to 20% to 30% less overburden stripping on surface due to narrower infrastructure.
Safer mine sites for more flexible operations
In addition to changing the nature of haul roads throughout the mine, Riino’s automated rail system also creates a safer, more flexible mine site. By removing diesel trucks from haul roads, exposure to dust, noise and vibration is reduced.
The rail system supports fully autonomous operation, with optional layers of remote monitoring and emergency breaking. human-error that occurs in vehicle interactions, reversing, blind spots and operator fatigue is also minimised.
“Riino can actually build and integrate into a mine network, going from mine to mill, having those switches on the rail,” said McColman. “So we can actually create a little network within the mine area.”
The fixed-path system simplifies traffic planning and eliminates cross-traffic and fuel supply logistics. “It would depend on the needs of the mine, but in theory, the rail itself lies over terrain if it’s flat, meaning we don’t have to dig up anything,” says McColman.
The rail guideway also shrinks the environmental footprint of haulage corridors, road maintenance and weather-related downtime, as it can operate in -40°C to 40°C.
Riino is designed for bulk, high-throughput haulage of:
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Run-of-mine (ROM) ore
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Concentrates
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Waste rock and overburden
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Aggregates and backfill materials
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Containerised cargo
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Irregular Cargo
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Mine Supplies
A changing industry
While diesel truck fleets have not yet been pushed to the side, their high fuel burn, idle time, and maintenance overhead contribute heavily to emissions and operation costs.
Solutions such as Riino’s railway system are changing the way mine sites look, sound and operate. Safety, adaptability and ease-of-use will be key in helping mine site operators find haulage solutions in a rapidly changing industry.
Accommodating both old and new sites
Traffic planning for new mine areas can be supported by Riino’s railway system. New ore bodies are in harder-to-reach areas with unreliable fuel access and power availability. Generally, the ground on these frontier locations is uneven or sensitive.
The modular assembly of Riino’s rail system allows initial access to areas that a fleet of diesel trucks could not traverse as easily.
However, the rail system is not just for new deposits. The reality is that many existing mines are facing the daunting task of transition their operations into a more sustainable operation.
“We can tack on to enter any energy source. Rhino can still be used if the energy is diesel generated on that mine site,” says McColman. “So we still support that mine going into the energy transition.”
With Riino’s infrastructure designed for adaptability, the rail system can fit into a mine regardless of its current stage in its sustainability journey.
This approach enables mine sites to make decisions that are best for their sites while still contributing to a sustainable mining future.
For more information, visit: www.riino.com
