Reflections from Sweden: Collaboration to advance cleaner, safer mining
By Tariq Kareemulla (Senior Programme Officer – Innovation, ICMM).
ICMM brought together industry leaders, experts, and innovators for the third Innovation for Cleaner, Safer Vehicles (ICSV) Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction (GHG) session.
The week’s activities underscored the power of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and a collective commitment to driving progress towards zero-emission mining.
Our week began with a visit to Volvo Construction Equipment’s sites near Stockholm, where we saw how they are leading in technological innovation. The site close to Eskilstuna includes Volvo’s technical research centre, customer showcase, and a hub called Munktells, which brings together experts and students to develop new ideas.
The city of Eskilstuna has a proud industrial history, with old factories and workshops that helped Sweden’s industrial growth during the industrial era. Today, the city blends this heritage with modern industry, and you can find museums that tell its manufacturing story.
At these sites, we learned about Volvo’s efforts to reduce emissions. They are testing autonomous battery electric trucks, loaders, and diggers; batteries that can be swapped out quickly; and they are exploring hydrogen internal combustion engine and fuel-cell-based options. Their holistic approach combines cutting-edge electric and autonomous machinery with a strong emphasis on integrating decarbonisation and circularity efforts into their entire value chain.
We also learned more about their partnership with Daimler on hydrogen systems which exemplifies how industry players are setting aside competition to accelerate collective progress.
Following this inspiring site visit, my colleague Mitsuhiro Yokota and I returned to Stockholm for a 1.5-day innovation session focused on the importance of collaboration and transparent knowledge sharing focused on making mining vehicles both cleaner and safer. The session featured a mix of activities and discussions with a diverse group of global experts, industry leaders, and decarbonisation champions.
Thoughtfully planned seating arrangements, breakout rooms, and interactive formats encouraged open dialogue and fresh perspectives. Throughout the week, participants had ample opportunities for virtual and in-person networking, facilitating ongoing exchange of insights and experiences to equip everyone with the tools needed to advance their decarbonisation efforts.
Key topics included safety in battery-powered and high-energy systems, managing risks while promoting decarbonisation, and ensuring different charging systems and infrastructure work seamlessly together. Experts from the marine, shipping, and electrical infrastructure sectors shared inspiring solutions for all-electric mines, marine decarbonisation, and charging innovations. These conversations underscored a common theme: safety remains paramount as we embrace electrification and technological advances in mining.
The week ended with a visit to Boliden’s Rävliden underground mine, home to the world’s longest underground battery trolley system, stretching about 5 kilometres.
Traditionally trolley systems have been used in mining to save diesel costs and increase ramp speeds for higher productivity. Modern trolley systems are now also instrumental in reducing emissions. As the electric grid in Sweden is highly renewable, the electricity supplied through the trolley system is clean, making this approach a significant step toward achieving net-zero emissions. Additionally, the system can dynamically charge the vehicle’s batteries in motion, supporting continuous operation and decreasing the need for large onboard energy storage. Watching the trolley system in action, seamlessly powering underground vehicles, was both impressive and inspiring. Boliden’s commitment to safety and operational efficiency, alongside their willingness to share lessons learned, highlighted how collaboration and innovation are key to overcoming challenges related safety, operational maintenance, charging, scheduling, procurement, and availability for high-energy systems.
This is the world’s first successful underground trolley system of its kind, and has increased productivity by 23%. It helps vehicles run efficiently without relying heavily on large batteries and helps to reduce emissions. Boliden aims for the mine to operate completely fossil-fuel free, making it safer and more environmentally friendly.
Seeing the trolley system in action shows how innovation and teamwork can solve challenges around safety, maintenance, and energy use in mining.
Throughout the week, a central message emerged: safety and electrification are intertwined and essential for the future of sustainable mining. The discussions and visits reinforced that working together—sharing knowledge, aligning standards, and fostering partnerships—accelerates progress. Whether it is managing risks, developing new technologies, or building infrastructure, collaboration enables the industry to turn challenges into opportunities and set clear targets for achieving net-zero emissions by 2040.
This is why we call on experts from energy, infrastructure, and safety fields to join this collective effort. The next innovation session, scheduled for May 2026 in Portugal around the Electric Mine, will focus on continuing the momentum of sharing insights and advancing decarbonisation pathways.
Reflecting on this week, I am encouraged by the tangible progress demonstrated through innovation and cooperation. It’s clear that by coming together, the mining industry is paving the way for a future that is safer, cleaner, and more sustainable for all.
