- First use of battery swap electric haul trucks in Rio Tinto’s surface mining operations.
- Fleet of eight 91-tonne Tonly trucks with 13 interchangeable 800 kWh batteries deployed.
- Battery swap station enables full replacement in under seven minutes, minimizing downtime.
- Trial runs through 2026, informing future decarbonization strategies for Rio Tinto’s 700-truck global fleet.
Rio Tinto and China’s State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) Qiyuan have launched a groundbreaking trial of battery swap electric haul truck technology at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia, marking Rio Tinto’s first deployment of this technology in surface mining.
The initiative represents a critical milestone in Rio Tinto’s efforts to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions from mining haulage — one of its largest carbon sources. Over the past year, Rio Tinto and SPIC Qiyuan have jointly delivered a complete ecosystem that includes eight 91-tonne Tonly trucks, 13 modular 800 kWh batteries, a battery swap station, a static charger, and supporting site infrastructure.
Advancing Low-Carbon Mining Operations
The pilot will see the trucks used for tailings dam construction and topsoil transport, giving Rio Tinto operational experience with the battery swap and charging system in real-world conditions.
Unlike conventional charging, battery swapping replaces depleted batteries in under seven minutes — significantly improving vehicle utilization rates and reducing charging downtime.
Ben Woffenden, Rio Tinto’s General Manager for Global Equipment and Diesel Transition, emphasized the partnership’s strategic value:
“This trial harnesses China’s leading battery swap technology and shows how partnerships like this can accelerate low-carbon innovation. It’s a vital step toward identifying proven, cost-effective solutions that support both operational excellence and decarbonization.”
Industry Collaboration Driving Decarbonization
SPIC Qiyuan’s General Manager of Qiyuan Green Power, Guo Peng, added:
“This milestone trial demonstrates the strength of our battery-swap technology in supporting global mining customers’ low-carbon transitions. We look forward to further collaboration with Rio Tinto to scale these innovations.”
The trial, running through the end of 2026, will provide critical data to assess scalability across Rio Tinto’s global fleet of 700 haul trucks — including approximately 100 small and medium-class units (100–200 tonnes payload) that could adopt current-generation battery swap systems.
By leveraging partnerships and proven Chinese electrification technology, Rio Tinto aims to accelerate the deployment of low-emission haulage solutions across its global mining portfolio.
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