FQM secures patent for trolley-assist technology to cut diesel use
First Quantum patents trolley-assist technology to cut mining diesel use
First Quantum Minerals has secured a patent and trademark in the United Kingdom for its proprietary Quantum Electra-Haul trolley-assist technology, strengthening the company’s efforts to electrify mine haulage and reduce diesel consumption.
The technology uses overhead electric power lines to provide energy to haul trucks while they travel along designated sections of a mine’s haul roads.
When connected to the trolley line, the truck’s electric wheel motors are powered by electricity, allowing the diesel engine to be switched off.
First Quantum says the system can reduce diesel consumption by up to 90% on uphill sections when haul trucks are fully loaded and require the most energy.
The UK Intellectual Property Office granted the patent and trademark during 2026, while additional patents covering other aspects of the technology remain pending.
Technology developed through years of mining operations
First Quantum has more than 14 years of experience designing, developing and operating trolley-assist systems across its mining operations.
The company began implementing the technology in 2011 and has since worked with equipment manufacturers including Liebherr, Hitachi Construction Machinery and Komatsu to develop haul trucks and supporting infrastructure capable of operating with trolley systems.
The Quantum Electra-Haul system includes overhead power lines, transformers, electrical houses and related infrastructure designed to provide electricity to haul trucks as they travel out of open-pit mines.
First Quantum currently has more than 15 kilometres of trolley-assist infrastructure installed across its three largest operations and plans to expand the technology across a greater proportion of its haulage routes.
The company says its long-term objective is to deploy trolley assist across up to 100% of applicable uphill haul cycles.
Kansanshi trials battery-electric haulage
The technology is also being used to support the development and testing of battery-electric haulage at First Quantum’s Kansanshi copper-gold mine in Zambia.
In partnership with Hitachi Construction Machinery, the company is trialling the EH4000 AC-3 Full Battery Dump Truck, an ultra-large battery-electric mining truck designed to operate with trolley-assist infrastructure.
The trial began in June 2024 and is being conducted under actual mine operating conditions.
It is designed to assess the truck’s performance across mining haulage activities, as well as its battery charging and discharging cycles.
In April 2026, First Quantum and Hitachi held a technical demonstration of the battery-electric truck at Kansanshi.
During the trial programme, the truck travelled more than 4,000 kilometres and transported over 30,000 tonnes of material.
The combination of battery-electric technology and trolley assist allows the truck to draw power from the overhead system while also using its battery during sections of the haul cycle where trolley infrastructure is unavailable.
Cutting emissions and improving efficiency
First Quantum’s trolley-assist operations have already contributed to reductions in fuel consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions at its Zambian mines.
The company estimates that trolley-assist technology saved approximately 45,000 tonnes of greenhouse-gas emissions in 2025.
Combined with other pit electrification initiatives, the company reported more than 130,000 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions savings across its Zambian operations during the year.
Beyond emissions reductions, trolley assist can also improve haulage efficiency. First Quantum says trucks can travel faster on trolley-equipped uphill sections, reducing cycle times and potentially lowering the number of trucks required for a given haulage task.
The technology is therefore being developed as part of a broader shift towards electrified mine operations, with First Quantum combining trolley infrastructure, battery-electric trucks and renewable electricity to reduce reliance on diesel in open-pit haulage.
At Kansanshi, the battery-electric truck trial provides an opportunity to test how these technologies can operate together in a large-scale mining environment and potentially contribute to the wider electrification of heavy-duty mining equipment.
