At the extreme limit of Northern Quebec, at Glencore's Raglan Mine, different initiatives are carried out each year to reduce the environmental impacts of their operations.
One ongoing initiative is the conversion of mining trucks and loaders equipped with Detroit Diesel engines to Volvo engines meeting Tier 4 standards to reduce emissions/realize fuel efficiency.
Glencore started converting their mining trucks and loaders to engines meeting Tier 4 standards in 2017. These engines deliver 10% better fuel economy compared to previous generation engines. Because they generate fewer pollutant emissions, less energy is necessary to ensure underground ventilation.
Of note, ÉcoPerformance, the province of Quebec’s program that aims to reduce business’ greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, helped finance the initiative in line with their mandate to finance projects or measures related to energy consumption and production.
Trucks and loaders are shipped by sea from Deception Bay, nearby Raglan Mine’s operations, to Quebec City, where a contractor performs the Tier 4 engine conversion. Glencore takes the opportunity to maintain other components of the vehicles at this time (e.g. transmission system, torque converter, hydraulic system, cylinder, etc.).
Employees of the Mine Maintenance department receive training to ensure they have the skills to support these new engines, which require different maintenance techniques and specialized knowledge.
“This training teaches us how to conduct mechanical maintenance and diagnose problems on new Volvo engines. These engines are more complex because of the multiple technologies used to make them more environmentally responsible,” says Claude Thivierge, Senior Coordinator – Sector Development
To date, three mining trucks have completed the conversion. Conversion of mobile equipment will continue until 2022.
Ultimately, 21 trucks and 12 loaders will be converted to Tier 4 engines representing an investment of more than C$14 million to reduce Glencore's environmental impact.
About the Canada Tier 4 standards
The Canadian Tier 4 standards are regulations targeting off-road diesel engines or machines. These regulations contribute to improved air quality in order to protect the environment and the health of Canadians through reductions in emissions of smog-forming pollutants.
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