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Fuel and Lube Systems for Mining: How the iGrid Keeps Haul Trucks Moving
A haul truck waiting for fuel isn't moving dirt. Neither is one parked in a PM bay while a tech hunts for the right hose. On most mine sites, fuel and lube are where uptime quietly leaks away, a...
23 min read
Fuel and Lube Systems for Mining: How the iGrid Keeps Haul Trucks Moving
Table of Contents
A haul truck waiting for fuel isn't moving dirt. Neither is one parked in a PM bay while a tech hunts for the right hose. On most mine sites, fuel and lube are where uptime quietly leaks away, a few minutes at a time, every shift.
The Innoflo iGrid was built to plug that leak. It's a set of fuel, lube and DEF systems for mining, built on skids in our Edmonton shop, shipped to site, and connected together on one pad. When the mine plan changes, the iGrid moves with it.
Here's what it is, how each piece works, and why it fits everything from a large open pit to a junior miner getting ready to strip ground for the first time.
What is the iGrid?
The iGrid is a modular fuel, lube and DEF system for mine sites. Instead of building a permanent fuel farm and lube shop out of concrete and custom piping, you get three pre-built modules that work together:
- The Fuel System. Bulk diesel storage plus high-speed refueling for haul trucks and support equipment.
- The Lube Island (LI-2300). A heated service module with oils, coolant, grease and used-oil evacuation on one rack.
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The DEF System. Heated storage and dispensing for diesel exhaust fluid.
Every module is skid-mounted and built before it leaves our shop. Start with one, add the others when you need them. That's where the name comes from: like a power grid, every module you install is a connection point for the next one.
The Fuel System: fast, clean diesel for haul trucks
Fueling speed decides how long a haul truck sits still. The iGrid Fuel System is built around that one number.
- Fast fills for the big trucks. The high-flow arm is designed for 850 litres per minute (LPM), sized for haul-truck turnaround. The platform is rated to 1,135 LPM, so there's room to grow.
- A separate lane for everyone else. A 350 LPM arm handles support equipment, so a water truck never holds up the haul fleet.
- Storage that fits your site. Double-wall GRANDE tanks give you 60,000 to 120,000 litres, with secondary containment built in. Take a delivery into either tank and draw from both as one system.
- Clean fuel, every litre. A strainer catches debris before the pump, then 5-micron filters clean the fuel before it reaches the nozzle.
- Smooth starts. A VFD brings the pump up gently, so you get full flow without pressure shock on the pump, motor or hoses.
- One button stops everything. A single emergency shutdown (ESD) isolates the whole refueling train.
- Built for winter. Rated for -40°C.
Why it matters: every minute saved at the fuel island is a minute back on the haul road. Across a full fleet and a full year, that turns into real tonnes moved. Controlled, metered dispensing also cuts spills and shrink, which is fuel you paid for and never used.
Want more on flow rates? Read about high-speed refueling for mine sites.
The Lube Island: every fluid within reach of the bay
A PM service only goes as fast as the tech can grab the right hose. If you're comparing lube systems for mining, this is the part that decides how many trucks you turn around per shift. The LI-2300 Lube Island puts everything on one rack.
- Eight reels, one rack. Four fresh oils, coolant, bulk grease, high-pressure grease and used-oil evacuation. An optional DEF point can be added.
- Two trucks at once. Oil and coolant flow at 45 LPM, and that rate holds on both hoses at the same time. Bays don't wait on each other.
- Warm in the winter. Everything sits in a heated, insulated 40-foot building on a 44-foot skid, so every product still flows when it's -40°C outside.
- Clean oil in. Every fresh-oil circuit is filtered, with pop-up indicators that show when a filter needs changing.
- Overfills stop themselves. Receiving valves close automatically at high level.
- Ready for data. Add dispense metering and fuel management integration when you want it.
Why it matters: organized, labelled reels mean less time hunting. Filtered oil means fewer equipment failures. Two trucks serviced at once means faster turnover and less downtime.
See our other lube and fuel island modules.
The DEF System: no frozen DEF, no SCR headaches
Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) starts to freeze at about -11°C, and dirty DEF damages the SCR system on Tier IV engines. The iGrid DEF System keeps it warm, clean and counted.
- Heated storage. A 40-foot heated building on a 44-foot skid means no freezing and no crystallization.
- Room to grow. A 16,000-litre insulated poly tank, expandable as your fleet grows.
- Fast haul-truck fills. A high-volume reel and Hartmann nozzle, driven by a mine-duty 5 hp pump.
- Pure to the nozzle. Inline DEF-rated filtration with fast-swap cartridges.
- Every litre counted. A flow meter and totalizer log every litre dispensed, ready to connect to fuel management software.
Why it matters: one bad SCR repair can cost more than years of filters. When DEF is clean and ready, trucks don't wait.
Starting a new mine? Why the iGrid fits junior miners
If you're a junior miner about to strip ground, you need fuel and lube on day one. You probably don't want to pour concrete for a fuel farm before you know where the pit will be in five years.
That's exactly the gap the iGrid fills.
- Less site prep. Skid-mounted modules need far less civil work than a stick-built fuel farm. That means lower upfront capital and a smaller footprint on a brand-new site.
- Faster start. Modules are built and tested in our shop, so the work on site is mostly setting them down and hooking them up.
- Start small. Begin with one fuel module and add lube, DEF or more storage as the fleet grows. Nothing you install first needs to be redesigned later.
- Take it with you. When the pit moves, the pad changes or the project wraps up, the whole system can be taken apart and set up somewhere else.
- Your money isn't buried. Because the equipment can be redeployed, the spend works across more years and more sites.
The same logic works for EPCs and construction teams planning early works: you get proven fuel and lube infrastructure without a custom design from scratch.
Built to move and grow with the mine plan
Mine plans change. Your fuel and lube infrastructure shouldn't have to be rebuilt every time they do. The iGrid grows in three simple ways, all without redesigning what's already on your pad:
- Add capacity. When the fleet grows or haul cycles get longer, add fuel modules of up to 120,000 litres each. Quick-connect interfaces let you chain from one module up to ten.
- Add throughput. When trucks are lining up at the arm, add a second high-speed dispense point on the same grid.
- Add intelligence. When you want the system to report back to you, connect fuel management software (more on that below).
Every module also shares the same safety and control setup: emergency shutdown, containment and overfill protection throughout. Common parts across modules mean fewer spares on the shelf and simpler maintenance. When you move to a new pad, there are no surprises.
Know where every litre goes
Moving fluid fast is half the job. Knowing where it went is the other half.
Innoflo is the exclusive Canadian partner for VERIDAPT's AdaptFMS fuel management system, and the iGrid is built to plug straight into it. Once connected, you can track every litre of fuel by asset. That dispensing data turns into useful answers: which machines are burning more than they should, where fuel is going missing, when a unit might need maintenance, and what goes into your ESG reports.
The DEF System meters every litre out of the box, and metering can be added to the lube island. So the data is there from day one, whenever you're ready to use it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a lube island in mining?
A lube island is a single station where maintenance crews dispense engine oil, hydraulic oil, coolant and grease, and pull out used oil, all from one spot. The iGrid LI-2300 puts eight service reels on one rack inside a heated building, so two trucks can be serviced at the same time.
Why choose a modular fuel system over a permanent fuel farm?
A modular fuel system is built off site, needs less civil work, and can be moved when the mine plan changes. A permanent fuel farm is poured in place and usually stays there. For sites where the pit will move or the mine life is uncertain, modular protects your investment.
Are the iGrid fuel and lube systems built for Canadian winters?
Yes. The fuel system is winter-rated to -40°C, and the lube island and DEF system sit inside heated, insulated buildings so every product keeps flowing.
Is the iGrid a good fit for junior miners?
Yes. Junior miners can start with one fuel module, keep upfront civil costs low, and add lube, DEF or more storage as production ramps up. If the project moves, the equipment moves too.
How fast does the iGrid fuel a haul truck?
The high-flow arm is designed for 850 litres per minute, and a separate 350 LPM arm serves support equipment. The platform is rated up to 1,135 LPM.
Can I start with just one module?
Yes. Each module works on its own and connects to the others later without redesigning what's already installed.
How much does an iGrid cost?
It depends on your site, storage size and which modules you need. Talk to our team for a budgetary estimate based on your fleet and mine plan.
Where is the iGrid built?
In Edmonton, Alberta, by Innoflo Solutions.
Let's plan your pad
Planning a new pit, moving to a new pad, or tired of trucks lining up at the fuel island? Tell us about your fleet and your mine plan, and we'll show you what an iGrid layout could look like on your site.
Explore the iGrid or reach the team at info@innoflo.com or 780-944-4819.
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