How ABB and EcoHoist are redefining hoisting for smaller mines
When ABB supplied the first electric motor for a mine hoist in 1891, it set in motion more than a century of progress in safer, cleaner, more productive material movement. That same spirit now underpins a new collaboration with Adelaide-based EcoHoist. Together, ABB Automation and EcoHoist are introducing a micro-hoisting solution designed to reduce emissions, cut capital expenditure, lower heat load, and de-risk operations in underground mines – ultimately driving an increase in productivity and profitability. ABB’s track record in electrification, automation, and hoist safety is the backbone of the solution, while EcoHoist brings agility, modular design, and focus on smaller-scale applications.
Feature article
1970-01-01
Why diesel haulage can no longer be the default
Diesel trucks have long been valued for flexibility, especially in smaller mines where large hoists have been deemed too expensive. Yet, underground, diesel trucks bring hidden costs: air laden with carcinogenic particulates, heavy ventilation infrastructure, and higher operational costs.
Vertical hoisting, on the other hand, offers the highest efficiency of all material haulage, says Nik Gresshoff, Head of Hoisting at ABB Australia. “Lifting 40 tons of material vertically from 1,400m uses around 237kWh,” he says, “whereas doing the same with a diesel truck uses the electrical equivalent of around 1,159kWh.”
“We’re talking about double the production at half the cost,” he continues, citing the increased production by removal of congestion, improved speed to surface and electrical efficiency by using counterbalanced systems offered by hoisting.
“It’s also sub-optimal from an environmental and safety point of view,” adds Matthew Forrest, EcoHoist’s founder and managing director. “You’re running diesel engines in confined tunnels, and people are breathing that air.”
Ventilation is often the biggest energy consumer in underground mines. Studies show hoisting can deliver at least 40% savings in ventilation requirements compared to diesel haulage, directly reducing energy costs and infrastructure needs. In fact, according to Forrest, mines that use EcoHoist could actually use less electricity than mines using diesel trucks, simply because of the huge reduction in the energy consumed by ventilation.
ABB + EcoHoist: vertical ore movement, reimagined
EcoHoist’s solution adds a compact, modular bucket system to tried-and-tested ABB technology. The combination, with its reduced size and lower up-front capital requirements, makes vertical haulage accessible to smaller operations. Instead of requiring massive shafts and headframes, the solution uses two small-diameter raises – fast to install, cheaper to support, and easier to extend or relocate as the mine deepens.
“The hoist is the heart of the mine, and EcoHoist is a new idea on a classic foundation,” says Gresshoff. “A shaft is still a shaft – but with EcoHoist, it’s smaller, safer, and powered by ABB’s proven drives, motors, and control and safety systems. These are the same systems we’ve deployed in more than 1,000 hoists worldwide, manufactured and supported by ABB.”
For small to mid-tier mines, this means access to the efficiency and productivity of vertical hoisting – long regarded as the fastest way to move ore – without prohibitive upfront costs. For larger mines, EcoHoist can be deployed in sub-level or satellite roles, cutting haul distances and easing bottlenecks.
Forrest presents a study, commissioned by BHP’s Think and Act Differently program. The study modelled a 2 Mt-per-annum expansion at 1,000 m depth. The analysis showed EcoHoist could deliver an incremental net present value of USD 82 million over a truck-based scenario – all underpinned by ABB’s hoist systems to ensure reliability and long-term operability.
“New doesn’t necessarily mean risky,” he says. “We’re using proven mechanics, just scaled differently. The return on investment we’re seeing in studies is startling”.
Reducing heat and improving safety
Every kilowatt of diesel power used underground translates into ventilation demand. By removing dozens of engines and their heat load, EcoHoist improves the working environment while lowering power costs.
Gresshoff highlights another dimension: “You’re not only cutting emissions and reducing costs; you’re also removing a major source of personnel risk. Truck haulage in confined tunnels carries inherent dangers – collisions, fatigue-related accidents, and constant exposure to diesel particulates.”
A shift away from trucks and toward electrified hoisting aligns with tightening regulatory focus. The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) reported in 2023 that diesel particulate matter (DPM) exposure remains the number one health priority for underground operations, and with Safe Work Australia releasing updated workplace exposure limits – dropping the allowable limit for DPM by a factor of 10, from 0.10 mg/m3 to just 0.01 mg/m³ from December 2026 – the race is on to remove diesel-powered vehicles from Australian mines.
ABB’s global leadership in hoisting drives productivity
For ABB, hoisting is not a niche – it is a core capability built across 140 years of global mining expertise. Our drives, motors, and safety systems are at the centre of some of the world’s most productive shafts, from Scandinavia to South America.
By partnering with EcoHoist, ABB is extending this heritage to smaller-scale applications, providing smaller mines with a commercially realistic pathway to vertical hoisting that also allows them to simultaneously hit productivity and safety targets. As Forrest puts it, “it’s now reasonably practicable to eliminate diesel trucks from smaller underground mines completely.”
Forrest continues: “The shortest distance between any two points is a straight line – vertical hoisting has always been the quickest, most efficient way to lift ore. EcoHoist just makes it possible where it wasn’t before. And because we’re using ABB components, miners can rest assured that the technology is proven.”
As mines work to balance sustainability with shareholder returns, the ABB-EcoHoist partnership offers a practical lever: reduce diesel reliance, electrify operations, and unlock stranded ore bodies – all at lower capital intensity, with ABB’s global expertise ensuring long-term success.