Coordinated production and charging strategies for battery-electric load-haul-dump fleets in underground mining
Fleet electrification is a key pathway for decarbonising underground mining, but it also changes mine operation substantially, as charging requirements directly affect equipment availability and production scheduling. This paper proposes a mixed-integer linear programming model that jointly optimises extraction and charging decisions for battery-electric load-haul-dump fleets. The formulation represents battery dynamics, charging logistics, and production requirements within an integrated short-term scheduling framework. Results from a Chilean underground copper mine show that electrification reduces energy costs by about 66% and CO2 emissions by nearly 80% relative to diesel operation. Coordinated charging under variable prices provides additional savings without affecting production.
Authors
- Ángela Flores-Quiroz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0400-4581)
- Pierre Nancel-Penard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7311-0073)
- Marcos E. Orchard (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4778-2719)
- Javier Ruiz‐del‐Solar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2965-633X)
- Víctor Bucarey L. (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3043-8404)
- Luis Felipe Orellana (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4363-2350)
- Diego Mancilla (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6197-4566)
- Camilo Espinosa-Curilem (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8243-7854)
- Gonzalo Ramírez
- Gonzalo Monsalve
- Belen Herrera
- Bruno Martínez
- Daniel Lira
- Fernando Soto
- Paulo Campoverde
Institutions
- University of O'Higgins (CL)
- Complex Engineering System Institute (CL)
- CODELCO (CL)
- University of Chile (CL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- International Journal of Mining Reclamation and Environment
- Published
- 2026-11-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/17480930.2026.2748651
- Primary Topic
- Mining Techniques and Economics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00