EcoHoist

What is EcoHoist?

What is EcoHoist:

The EcoHoist is a vertical material transport solution for underground mines.

It provides underground mines with a commercially compelling alternative to diesel haul trucks.

Mines for minerals like copper, gold, nickel, zinc and lithium often need to move millions of tonnes p.a. of ore-bearing rocks from deep underground (beyond 500m deep). The two main existing solutions for underground ore transport are diesel haul trucks and skip hoists. 

Most underground mines in Australia are reliant on diesel trucks. Mines using diesel trucks are dirty and expensive to operate because of diesel consumption, operator wages, road maintenance, equipment maintenance and high electricity consumption for diesel fume ventilation.

The current alternative to diesel trucks, skip hoists, lift ore vertically, run on clean electricity and have a low operating cost. Unfortunately, skip hoists are infrequently deployed because of high capital costs. The cost of constructing the large (6m diameter) mine shafts can cost in excess of $100M, and other supporting infrastructure is required, costing additional $10’s of millions. 

The EcoHoist has all of the benefits of skip hoists, and reduces the capital cost of mineshaft construction from circa $100M to $10M. This cost saving leaves room for significant margins on the EcoHoist equipment and operating spares.  We believe we should be able justify compelling profit margins on equipment sales in the order of $10-30M.

Traction:

• We have two signed letters of interest from potential customers representing A$29M in potential revenue. 
• We have a patent pending (with Clear Report indicating patentability from IP Australia) protecting 48% of the global mining market, as well as trade secret manufacturing methods.
• We have an MoU and a JDA for collaboration with ABB, a multinational supplier of electrical equipment to over 1000 skip hoist projects over the past 130 years.