eFlow Hub partners in spotlight: Sandvik

In this series we present companies and other organisations involved in eFlow Hub. In this episode we get to know Sandvik Mining and Construction Oy.

Toro LH625iE from Sandvik is an electric loader that can carry 25 000 kg of rock material in one single bucket. The loader is attached to the mine grid with an electric cable. It is the world’s biggest electric loader for underground mining

Sandvik Mining and Construction Oy develops and manufactures high-tech equipment for mining and construction equipment for global markets. Sandvik’s Turku site is specialized in developing state-of-the-art loaders and trucks for underground hard rock mines. The Turku site has a long history, as it has been established already in 1913. As the decades have passed, it has become a renowned innovation and development center for intelligent, robust and reliable technology for a unique and demanding environment. More than 95% of the production in Turku is exported.

Sandvik has about 2 300 employees in Finland of which 700 in Turku.  Sandvik as a global engineering group has approximately 37 000 employees, all with a strong commitment to enhancing customer productivity, profitability and safety. The Sandvik Group revenues are approximately 86 billion SEK (Annual Report 2020).

How does Sandvik see the future of electric mobility and why is Finland a good location for developing new innovations for electric mobility? Read below the answers from Mats Eriksson, President of Load and Haul Division, Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions.

How do you see the future of battery technology / electric mobility?

Improving sustainability performance, combating climate change, and limiting environmental effects are big drivers for any industry, including mining. Ore is still demanded for the society every day, but it needs to be retrieved from underground in a more sustainable way. Here, battery and electric technologies are expected to offer new solutions. At our sector, battery technology will enable for our customers new opportunities that have not made economic sense before. With this technology, and specifically combined with automation, mining companies will find new opportunities that they never thought were possible.

The industry is clearly going through a transformation, but we also acknowledge that a major change is not going to happen overnight: new knowledge and innovations take time to develop, and to take into use. Therefore, we see that several technologies will co-exist while battery and electric mobility is stabilizing its footsteps.

Which are the strengths of Finland and Southwest Finland in this sector?

We have the knowledge base, experience and will to develop. We have existing networks used to working together to meet global demands. Combining our decades long expertise in making high-tech mining equipment with the growing knowledge of battery related technologies in Southwest Finland can be a strong combination serving our mining customers.

Further, business is run in an ethical and sustainable manner; today’s operations are expected to comply with a multitude of national and international norms and requirements. Unfortunately, this is not self-evident in all parts of the world, but in Finland that is the way we do our daily business.

In June 2021, Finland has been ranked number one in an international comparison of sustainable development. The esteemed ranking by the UN and the Bertelsmann Foundation is published annually, and Finland has also been in the top three in earlier years, together with Denmark and Sweden (Sustainable Development Report 2021).

How could eFlow Hub cluster accelerate the competitiveness of Finland / Southwest Finland in the industry?

Big changes require collaboration and partnership. Keeping up existing and building new networking possibilities, getting the best innovators to talk with each other are key elements in accelerating the competitiveness. We need ways to jointly develop and invent in this new emerging business segment. Electrification of mining brings a good opportunity for partnership and innovativeness.

At least equally important is to develop new skills and expertise: we need to invest in education and attracting new talents to be part of building our future. If we want to achieve something different, we will need to do something in a new way. (Useilta yrityksiltä ja Salon kaupungilta merkittävät lahjoitukset Turun yliopiston tekniikalle).

What kind of co-operation opportunities and partners are you interested in?

We are interested in initiatives that help to drive the battery and electric mobility transformation that is clearly ongoing. Our branch – underground mining equipment – is extraordinary, but at the same time, we share same challenges and goals as many others do. Also, we are interested in projects that help to build future competence and innovative power through education.

Something else you would like to inform or tell in this short company presentation?

Sandvik is a market leader in making loaders and trucks for underground mining and we are focused on meeting our customers demand for battery electric vehicles. We will continue to invest in this technology and at the same time we do understand that we need to work with partners to be able to succeed. Therefore, we are actively looking for partners that can help us to be no 1 in BEV’s for underground mines.