Discussed in depth in our forthcoming March 2012 issue, the use of rail in underground mining is still widespread. It is also not standing still in terms of new technology. Vehicle Projects of Golden, Colorado and Anglo American Platinum in South Africa are collaborating on a project to build five fuel cell mine locomotives to be demonstrated in mid-2012 at Amplats’s Dishaba underground mine in Limpopo province, South Africa. The purpose of the innovative vehicles is to mine platinum in a more economical, energy-secure, and environmentally-benign manner. The locomotives will not require any electricity from the grid to function, and will not emit any noxious gases. (more…)
