A Bortana electric vehicle.
IGO has collaborated with Barminco to complete a pilot of a battery electric light vehicle (BELV) at its Nova operation in Western Australia.
The company selected a Safescape Bortana BELV, which was built on the chassis of a diesel-powered Agrale Marruá, due to its versatility across mine sites.
The trial is part of IGO’s target to electrify its mine plant and vehicles, while setting the path for studying the use of bigger classes of equipment in underground mines.
IGO stated in its sustainability report that the pilot was a successful collaboration with a clear focus on innovation.
“Our assessment is that one of the most effective ways to both minimise emissions and improve safety and productivity will be through the future electrification of our mine plant and vehicles,” the company added.
IGO aims to be a carbon neutral by 2035.
The company has reduced 10 per cent of its energy consumption since commissioning a 5.5 megawatt solar farm at the Nova operation in the 2020 financial year.
This is expected to reduce the company’s emissions by around 6500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
At the Fraser Range project in Western Australia, IGO is set to complete land remediation after an external audit determined that it had not progressed on schedule.
The company is now well advanced to remediate the affected land, with work targeted for completion by the end of the year.
IGO has rehabilitated 577 hectares of land in the 2020 financial year, a 238 per cent rise on the prior