Ahead of The Electric Mine 2025 conference at Centro Parque in Las Condes, Santiago, Chile, which is being held next week from May 13-15, IM caught up with Platinum Sponsor ABB’s Max Luedtke, Global Business Line Manager for Mining at ABB Process Industries; and Fabiana Cavalcante, Global Head of Mobile e-Power, ABB Traction, on its presence in the region, the scope of ABB’s eMine offering and important collaborations and partnerships.
Q Can you give some idea of ABB’s mining footprint in Chile and Peru in terms of teams, facilities etc plus to what extent are you investing in the region to meet current and future mine electrification demand?
ML: Chile and Peru are the top two countries in the world for copper mining, producing around 8 Mt between them (30% of global output). As a global technology leader, ABB is there side-by-side with mining customers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and fellow supply chain technologists. In Chile, ABB has been contributing to the development of mining for 70 years, and today the industry represents around 12% of GDP. Technology has an important role in extracting the metals and minerals that today’s electric vehicles, machines and devices depend on, so ABB continues to drive advanced automation and digital control system solutions, plus electrification. As our 70th anniversary in Chile in 2025 approached, our continued investments in the country included a move to a new office in the Torre Costanera Center, the tallest tower in South America. In addition, we have grown our automation and electrification footprint with the first ABB eMine
Trolley System installations on the continent and brought more ABB Gearless Mill Drive systems to the countries so operators can efficiently, reliability and sustainably drive their grinding mills. Our teams are working to develop the latest innovations and successful industry partnerships right here in South America.
Q ABB has been leading the way in offering electrification solutions and platforms to mining with eMine – how do you see the potential for electrification in Chilean mining and how is ABB well placed to meet demand based on your footprint and existing experience in the region?
ML: We know from our Mining’s Moment report, which independently surveyed more than 400 leaders and experts, that companies have firm plans for the decarbonisation and electrification of fleets. By 2026, 52% of South American mining companies plan to invest in decarbonising their haulage fleets, surpassing the average of 42% globally, while 72% intend to electrify at least 25% of their fleets by 2030 compared to 68% globally. In Chile, we see this happening already because there are the opportunities and the will. Customers are increasingly aware that ABB’s eMine offers integrated electrified, automation and digitalised technologies to enable the transition to all-electric mining operations. ABB’s long-standing collaborations with major mining companies in Chile have resulted in early deployments of digital solutions such as the ABB Ability Genix suite. ABB’s comprehensive approach, combining electrification with these digital applications to monitor and optimise energy usage, positions it as a key partner in advancing sustainable mining practices in the region.
Max Luedtke, Global Business Line Manager for Mining at ABB Process Industries
Q You have collaborations with place with Codelco and Antofagasta Minerals – both Miner Partner sponsors of The Electric Mine – can you provide any more detail on what those partnerships involved and any progress that has been made to date?
ML: Having entered into strategic collaborations with both Codelco and Antofagasta Minerals, we are dedicated to working together to drive decarbonisation in Chile’s mining industry. With Codelco specifically, ABB is utilising the long-term partnership to explore decarbonisation through digitalisation and automation. By integrating technologies like digital twins, the ABB Ability Energy Management System and the ABB Ability Operations Management System, we aim to reduce emissions, optimise material handling and transport, and drive sustainable, efficient mining across both current operations and future projects. Our collaboration with Antofagasta Minerals (AMSA) aims to accelerate decarbonisation through the electrification and automation of operations, leveraging ABB’s expertise and eMine solutions. A notable first step is the installation of ABB’s eMine Trolley System at Minera Los Pelambres.
ABB’s eMine Trolley System at Minera Los Pelambres will be one of the first of its kind in South America
Q AMSA’s Los Pelambres will be one of the first ever trolley lines in South America – can you outline the ABB role in that project and any particular challenges faced and being overcome?
ML: ABB is contributing its eMine Trolley System to AMSA’s Los Pelambres mining project, one of the first implementations of such technology in South America. This system enables the electrification of haul trucks, reducing diesel consumption and associated emissions, and is a core element of AMSA’s broader plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. ABB designed and engineered the complete eMine Trolley System. This system considered to be modular, flexible, relocatable and reusable. The team at AMSA has been onboard with the idea of electrification by way of eMine Trolley System through exploratory phases, pilot tests and customer visits in other parts of the world over recent years. Together, we’re working closely with the truck OEM Komatsu, providing the foundations to updating diesel trucks to battery drive systems. Now, together we can reach this milestone for South America, with a system that is adapted for the specific conditions it will face and one that is also designed to be relocated on the mine site within a shorter timeframe than ever before.
Q ABB has a unique position in being able to offer mobile mining fleet solutions but also may other aspects of electrification including fixed power infrastructure and charging technology – charging is particularly an issue in Chile and Peru given that most of the trucks are ultraclass – can you comment on progress to date on fast charging of trucks on this scale using technology from ABB and its partners?
ML: At ABB, we’re not just focused on mobile fleet electrification, we also bring deep expertise in fixed power infrastructure and charging. Charging can pose a major challenge, especially in regions like Chile and Peru where most mining trucks are ultra-class and require extremely high power. Enter eMine FastCharge equipped with our Robot Automated Connection Device (Robot ACD). It is a high-power stationary fast charging solution designed for haul trucks, currently being tested at Boliden’s Aitik mine in Sweden. Through this testing and a future phase in the US, we are gathering the data needed for us to be able to improve and develop on the solution to include ultra-class mining trucks within the portfolio. We are aiming to facilitate the transition to electric haulage in the mining sector by making sure the right charging infrastructure is in place – without that the shift just isn’t possible. Working closely with partners across the industry, we are pushing for open standards and interoperable, OEM-agnostic solutions. This kind of collaboration is essential, not just to accelerate adoption, but to make sure mine operators aren’t locked into one vendor or technology. With this approach, we are allowing miners the flexibility to future-proof their investments and ultimately make their entire systems more resilient.
Q Equally in terms of power management and the digitalisation aspect of mine electrification, what is distinctive about your offering and to what extent have you already deployed this type of technology in the region?
ML: What really sets ABB apart is our capability to combine robust power infrastructure with advanced digital tools to create a fully integrated, intelligent approach to mine electrification. A standout example is the ABB Ability Energy Management System (EMS), which brings together platforms like our eMine portfolio and ABB Ability Genix to provide mining operators with real-time visibility into energy flows, predict demand, and automate load balancing across both fixed and mobile assets. This enables mines to manage energy more sustainably and cost-effectively, which plays a crucial factor in high-consumption, remote environments like those in Chile and Peru. Our Genix solution is already in action with Gold Fields in Chile. But beyond today, we’re building for the future. Our solutions are scalable and designed to integrate with renewable energy sources, microgrids, and autonomous systems, ensuring that mining companies can continue to meet evolving production and sustainability goals. A key aspect of our approach is collaboration, which is central to ensuring we create flexible, interoperable solutions. Our work with Codelco is a prime example. By integrating automation and digitalisation at their mining sites, we’re not just enhancing operational efficiency and productivity, we’re also helping to reduce carbon emissions in their journey to achieving short- and long-term decarbonisation goals.
Q ABB recently partnered with Hitachi Construction Machinery to develop electric dump trucks for mining. How does this project fit into the broader electrification journey, particularly given the recent industry shift toward more phased, hybrid approaches?
FC: The collaboration with Hitachi Construction Machinery reflects what we’re seeing globally: mining companies want to decarbonise, but they also need solutions that work with the reality on the ground. The all-electric dump truck prototype currently undergoing field trials in Zambia is a major milestone, not just because of its size and performance, but because it’s part of a modular, scalable strategy. It’s designed to integrate with trolley infrastructure and capture regenerative braking, but also aligns with hybrid-ready operations – allowing mines to reduce emissions without waiting for full-site electrification. It’s this kind of flexible engineering that helps move the industry forward, even when timelines are tight and infrastructure is still catching up.
Fabiana Cavalcante, Global Head of Mobile e-Power, ABB Traction
Q Many mining companies are rethinking how fast they can transition their fleets to full electrification. How is ABB helping clients balance long-term goals with short-term operational constraints?
FC: At ABB, we’re focused on meeting our clients where they are. We’ve developed a portfolio that spans everything from full battery-electric systems to hybrid configurations that deliver efficiency and emissions gains today. Our new Pro Battery Series, for instance, is designed to work within existing vehicle envelopes, making it ideal for retrofitting or phased upgrades. And with our modular trolley systems, clients can start with diesel-electric and evolve to full battery-electric over time, all while leveraging the same infrastructure. It’s not about choosing between ambition and feasibility – it’s about giving mining operations a roadmap that is technically sound, financially justified, and operationally practical.
The post ABB’s eMine™ portfolio helping electrification drive in South America appeared first on International Mining.