Global load and haul attachment manufacturer, Schlam Payload has released what it says is the world’s first mining truck beds made from green steel as part of its latest efforts to match higher open-pit mine site productivity with lower carbon emissions.

Called ‘Xeroline’ and incorporating 100% carbon-free steel from the SSAB Zero steel range, the option is available in all Hercules models ranging in size from 100 t to 400 t per load. This covers the Hercules, Hercules EXO and Hercules ULTRA brands.

Schlam Chair and Chief Executive Officer, David Haslett, said the evolution of low emissions products and services is a natural extension of the company’s expertise in load and haul attachments.

“We are prioritising innovation that helps reduce the impact of our operations and our products on the planet,” he said. “Working in collaboration with customers, we have already pioneered the development of truck beds for autonomous, hydrogen-powered and electric haulage trucks.

“The introduction of green steel in Hercules Xeroline is an important next step that contributes directly to both our decarbonisation targets and our customers.”

While green steel or, more specifically, steel made from recycled steel, produced using fossil free electricity and transported using fossil free fuels as is the case with SSAB Zero, has been leveraged already in underground mining equipment and for smaller quarry-size operations, this is the first time it has come into the open-pit mining range of 100-t payloads and upwards, according to Schlam.

Xeroline models offer the same lightweight and long-life benefits of a standard Hercules truck bed, which increases payload capacity by up to 10% and, in doing so, reduces carbon emissions per tonne of ore moved through savings in fuel efficiency.

Since the first Hercules mining truck bed was built in 2010, the Hercules bed has been deployed across diverse mining environments – from Australia’s deserts to Kazakhstan’s plains – consistently enhancing payload efficiency and productivity, according to Schlam.

On top of the payload advantage, Schlam states that the truck beds provide a lower cost of ownership than the OEM equivalent, with up to 25,000 hours maintenance free, plus they are designed specifically for local site conditions.

According to Schlam’s Global Product Manager – Truck Beds, Tom Smith, there is no difference in the final Hercules product between green steel and traditional steel. While the power source and production methods are different, the quench and tempering processes are identical.

“Hercules Xeroline truck beds have the same strength, durability and reliability,” he said. “What is different is the level of embedded carbon emissions given steel is the primary raw material used.”

On average, a Hercules truck bed weighs around 25 t. In the traditional truck bed, this represents around 100 t of CO2 in Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions. Using green steel in Xeroline models reduces the total emissions by 66% to an average of 35 t CO2 per truck bed, according to the company.

Smith said this comparison is increasingly important for mining companies and other customers who put a value on carbon.

“Carbon emissions inputs are factored into models that inform investment decisions and can influence the value proposition for new assets,” he said. “It’s particularly relevant for customers that are subject to carbon tax regimes across multiple global jurisdictions.”

This group – those subject to carbon tax regimes – is getting larger with every year that passes.

The first Xeroline models have been contracted by major Tier 1 Australian mining companies and manufactured at Schlam’s Forrestfield facilities in Western Australia. Two have been in operation in the hot, arid climate and at times cyclonic conditions of the Pilbara for 12 months.

Smith explained: “Feedback from our client is that if the beds weren’t painted a different colour then they would not be able to tell the difference between the traditional Hercules and a Xeroline. They have certainly met expectations to be as robust and efficient as all the Hercules in their fleet.”

Schlam says there are contracts in place to build more Hercules Xeroline truck beds, explaining that multiple Tier 1 clients are looking to bring down their emissions in line with the industry’s push towards net zero mining operations.

The same is also the case for Schlam, which has made a commitment to achieve net zero emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 2040.

The company concluded: “Developing a market for green steel products is necessary to achieving global climate goals. According to the World Economic Forum, steelmaking contributes 8% of global energy related greenhouse gas emissions. The International Energy Agency forecasts emissions from steelmaking must be reduced by 50% by 2050 in order to meet net zero objectives.

“Our focus – of which this green steel initiative is a part of – is on reducing emissions across our entire operations and supply chain, and being widely regarded as a low-carbon supplier of products and services within the METS sector.”

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