Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine Converts Transport to Eco-Friendly Fuel

The company has commissioned SHACMAN X3000 and FAW J6 dump trucks, which run on environmentally friendly methane gas. Twelve new 32-tonne-capacity vehicles have been placed at the disposal of the NTK contractor, which serves the mine. By the end of 2024, there will be 30 such dump trucks operating at the mine, transporting coal from the warehouse to the coal loading station. This will reduce transportation costs by 2-3 times.

But the main advantage of using gas as engine fuel over diesel and gasoline is its environmental friendliness. According to the enterprise’s chief ecologist, this reduces emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere by several times:

 “By using natural gas instead of gasoline and diesel fuel, we reduce the emission of toxic substances by several times: carbon monoxide by 2-3 times, nitrogen oxides by 2 times, hydrocarbons by 3 times, and smoke by 9 times. At the same time, no soot is formed at all. The commissioning of such dump trucks makes it possible for the Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine to successfully implement its long-term policy of preserving a healthy environment."

 Another big advantage of methane is safety. According to Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations’ Classification of Combustible Substances by Degree of Sensitivity, compressed natural gas falls in the fourth and safest class. Methane is half the weight of air and quickly dissolves into the atmosphere if leaked.

Currently, all the methane-powered dump trucks have been put into operation and are working successfully. Each vehicle is serviced daily. Dump truck drivers are instructed and trained in the particularities of operating these vehicles beforehand, and only upon successful completion of exams do they receive a special document authorizing them to drive them.

The commissioning of these vehicles at the Kiyzassky Open-Pit Mine is part of a comprehensive program aimed at transitioning to the use of ecological transport. The company already has five Sany hybrid dump trucks with load capacities of 150 tonnes operating at the site, as well as three Russian-built EKG-12K electric excavators.