Megacharging the Future of Mines

Megacharging the Future of Mines

Ventilation represents one of the most significant portions of operating costs in the mining industry.  To curb these costs, an increasing number of mining companies are turning to electric vehicles; but one of their biggest challenges they face are inconsistencies between each electric vehicle’s design and charging needs.  To adapt to this Wild West of EV vehicles, Meglab developed the MegaCharge™ charging solution.

The MegaCharge™ was developed by Meglab’s engineering team to facilitate the demand of electric vehicles in underground mines.  Jian Zhao, the manager of Meglab’s strategic projects, has more than 20 years of experience in the research and development of products.  Throughout his illustrious career, he has designed a variety of products for several different industries, and has been recognized by numerous international safety regulations.  He is also the inventor of the Intrinsically Safe Backup Power Supply for Combustible Environments patent (United-States).

His newest creation, the MegaCharge™ product line, is an innovative all-in-one charging solution designed to solve many of the challenges that mining companies face when using electric vehicles.  It is the first charging solution with Medium Voltage (4.16kV to 13.8kV) direct connectivity designed specifically for the underground mining applications.

Meglab’s MegaCharge™ has many features that make it outstanding from its competitors.  For example, it does not require any additional infrastructure to function (no transformers, no substations).  It is entirely self-sufficient, features easy and fast deployment, and is much more cost effective than any other charging solutions currently on the market.

But the most remarkable feature of the MegaCharge™ is its compatibility, scalability, and flexibility.  It supports CCS combo Type 1, Type 2, and other customer defined charging protocols; it can maintain its high efficiency with the load ranges from 10 per cent to 100 per cent, giving it the possibility to charge several types of vehicles, such as people movers, LHDs, and jumbos from different manufacturers.  It can be equipped with four, six, or up to ten separate charging channels in one single package, with 150kW fast DC charging capacity on each channel, which is suitable for underground charging stations or surface depot charging stations.  Its dispenser (charger box) can be installed up to 150 metres away from the charging station; meaning, with the MegaCharge™, a mining company is able to charge multiple vehicles, from different manufacturers, on different levels of an underground mine, all at the same time.

The MegaCharge™ charging stations can also connect to the mine’s telecommunication system, through Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or LTE/GSM network.  Working together with the mining HMI platform, such as the Meglab’s IMAGINE™ system, the information (including the type of vehicles being charged, the battery SOC, and the charging time remaining) will be monitored remotely, which helps users to manage their fleets from the surface.

Jian and his team are also working on a couple of other EV charging solutions that will introduce further innovative technologies into the mining industry.  Meglab is committed to providing high quality products and services for our mining community. 

There are many incentives for mines to switch to an all-electric fleet.  Ontario’s Borden Mine launched its first fully electric mine in Canada.  According to Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (Sudbury INO), the general cost of electrical power is one third of the cost of diesel fuel.  Switching fleets to fully electric vehicles could cut carbon emissions by 70 per cent, reduce diesel consumption by three million litres, and propane consumption by one million litres.

By creating innovative, self-sufficient, and versatile charging stations, Meglab incentivises mining companies to make the switch to electric vehicles and reap the profits, all while reducing their carbon footprint.