The Electric Mine 2026 conference is set to begin next week (5-7 May) in Lisbon, Portugal, bringing together global mining executives at a critical point in the industry’s decarbonisation journey.
Speaking to Mining.com.au, the event’s director of content Dan Gleeson says this year’s conference will showcase that there are commercially ready steps to start electrification and decarbonisation.
“The ‘net zero’ goals to 2030-2035 that mining companies set many years ago showed that not all in the industry can make the fully-electric leap immediately,” Gleeson tells this news service.
“The event will showcase that, depending on your site profile, energy inputs, and risk appetite, there are ‘bridge’ solutions to make a dent in your emissions profile or take a significant step towards all-electric propulsion.
“There are also front-runners that are going the whole way, some of which believe this will differentiate their company in the market.”
The Electric Mine brings together more than 750 delegates across over 35 countries, as well as 95 expert speakers and 150 mining delegates. The three-day event was established six years ago because the industry is at a significant crossroads – one that requires new thinking, collaboration, and an openness to technology adoption that has historically been missing.
Electric Mine serves as an essential platform for all companies involved in the mine electrification transition to showcase future-proofed solutions that will enable mining companies to achieve their interim and final emissions targets by 2050.
Gleeson notes that while there have been some high-profile decarbonisation “u-turns as of late”, the event will highlight examples of “genuine progress, conveying to all stakeholders that the momentum that began many years ago” when Electric Mine started has continued.
“Progress is actually happening on the ground,” he explains.
“It might not be in the country [you] are currently operating in, but, when viewed on a global basis, there are plenty of new technologies and equipment being trialed and purchased with intent.”
Electrification meets rising demand
Electrification – the core theme surrounding the Electric Mine conference – is crucial for the global energy transition, acting as a primary tool to decarbonise industries by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy.
As previously reported earlier this year, S&P Global found that the pace of electrification is set to swell copper demand to 42 million tonnes by 2040. This figure represents a 50% increase from current levels.
S&P Global says meeting this demand requires adding the equivalent of roughly 300 Hoover Dams, or more than 650 one-gigawatt nuclear reactors, each year between now and 2040.
Much of this growth is tied to two dominant demand streams – traditional economic activity and the energy transition.
While core sectors such as construction and power generation account for around 23 million tonnes of copper, electrification-driven demand such as electric vehicles, battery storage, and renewable energy, is expected to surge by more than 7 million tonnes to 15.7 million tonnes by 2040.
Emerging technologies, including humanoid robots, machines built in the shape of humans designed to work in human environments and use human tools, could add further pressure.
Analysts project that there could be between 1-10 billion humanoid robots in operation by 2040 – meaning about 1.6 million tonnes of copper is required per year.
At the same time, the global energy system remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels. The World Economic Forum reports that around 80% of energy consumption is still fossil fuel-based, while electricity’s share of final energy use in the EU has stagnated at roughly 21%.
The World Economic Forum reports that this figure needs to be 60% by 2050 if the bloc is to meet its climate and electrification targets.
However in recent years, the International Energy Agency (IEA) highlights that notable progress has been made in several countries when it comes to electrification.
In France and the US, heat pumps outsold fossil fuel-based heating systems in 2022, while New Zealand banned the installation of new low- and medium-temperature coal boilers in 2021 to encourage cleaner alternatives for industries.
China also reached an electric vehicle sales share of 29% in the same year. As such, the government’s targets of 20% new energy vehicle sales in 2025 was comfortably met three years ahead of time.
Technology pathways
Against this backdrop, Electric Mine continues to serve as a forum for exploring multiple technological pathways rather than a single solution.
Gleeson explains that the industry tends to come to the Electric Mine event to ensure that they stay abreast of all electrification-related discussions.
“Around 2022-23, stakeholders tended to ask questions about hydrogen in a fuel-cell electric vehicle context alongside battery-electric propulsion options,” he says.
“They have also continued to ask questions around slot-in solutions for internal combustion engines (ICEs) like biofuels and green fuels.
“We have always opened the platform to all these questions, knowing that no obvious ‘silver bullet’ has emerged like diesel for ICEs.”
ICE electrification involves transitioning from pure combustion power to electric powertrains, ranging from hybrid systems to full electric vehicles.
These discussions are expected to be reflected on this year’s conference floor, as Rolls-Royce Power Systems will be sharing how their engines, as part of hybrid truck solutions, can help address challenges such as reducing fuel consumption and lowering total cost of ownership, while supporting decarbonisation goals.
On day three of the event, the German solution provider’s Chief Engineer of Hybrid Mining Truck Alexander Richter will provide insights on how these approaches translate into real-world performance and measurable impact.
MTU diesel engines, a Rolls-Royce solution brand, has been setting the standard for performance and fuel efficiency in the mining industry worldwide. These engines reliably power vehicles for surface mining, including blast hole drill rigs, leading vehicles such as excavators and wheel loaders, dump trucks, and other mining machinery.
The MTU series 4000 engines have been specially developed for powerful, versatile yet efficient operation. With scheduled maintenance intervals, numerous engines have clocked up more than 60,000 operating hours. The key MTU series 4000 engines for mining vehicles are approved for renewable diesel and enable decarbonisation.
Meanwhile, Jakob Mining Vehicles’ will be unveiling its TerraCharge vehicles at this year’s event, built specifically for mining. TerraCharge is considered the first fully electric light utility 4×4 vehicle – using zero emission drive systems and advanced recycling methods for vehicle components.
It is designed for harsh underground operations with a sturdy body that resists impact and corrosion, while also optimised for long operating time and a comprehensive safety system that meets mining requirements.
Collaboration and solidarity
Gleeson says that in the last few years there have been discussions around integrating all the various monitoring systems present on mine sites to come up with a site-wide energy view that companies can use to predict energy inputs based on implementing dynamic charging on battery trucks in certain areas of a mine, on top of static charging in other areas.
“The same questions have been asked of the underground mining community too, but the focus has been on either fast charge or battery swapping options,” he adds.
Gleeson notes that simulations of mine sites of the future also now combine all these various inputs.
“Fleet management, autonomous haulage, etc, and devising highly accurate plans that indicate potential energy, production, and efficiency tradeoffs based on the route that companies choose,” he says.
“These are the types of simulations that allow mining companies to actually start planning around what electric technologies can offer now and in the future.”
Gleeson emphasises that collaboration is an integral part of the Electric Mine conference.
“This is especially important when it comes to safety issues related to this new breed of electric equipment,” he adds.
“Where the industry requires more alignment is on committing to making this shift. A few years ago, it felt like the whole industry – OEMs, service providers, consultants, engineers, and the miners – were all walking the same walk when it comes to electrification. The same cannot be said now.”
Gleeson says that he would like to see the word collaboration used alongside the word solidarity from now on.
“The whole sector needs to show a unified front and be wholly committed to producing metals and minerals in a socially responsible way, which includes using green and clean equipment.
“This means companies need to show pathways to achieving their end goals, even if they can’t fully commit to using the equipment yet. The worst thing for the industry now would be to completely abandon the progress that has already been made in the push for electrification and revert to buying carbon credits to allow them to achieve their strategies on a spreadsheet.”
With more than half of major mining companies expecting operational transformation within the next decade, Electric Mine 2026 aims to show not just where the industry is heading – but how it can get there.
Mining.com.au will be in attendance and on the floor at this year’s event.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Mining.com.au & Electric Mine
