Komatsu and partner General Motors have sights on a “mid-2020s” Arizona, US, testing of a large mining truck powered by two megawatts of hydrogen fuel cell “power cubes” after announcing their co-development pact this week.
Major mining and construction equipment maker Komatsu maintains energy-dense hydrogen fuel cells might be an economic alternative to non-diesel ‘green’ fuels, some form of power-assist for battery-electric vehicles, or other emerging options. Its popular 930E 300-tonne-payload ultra-class dump trucks mainly run on diesel around the world today.
Anglo American-backed First Mode is leading the charge to commercialise hydrogen fuel-cell powered ultra-class mining trucks and other heavy industrial transport. However, the technology is seen by some to have a long way to go to become a viable option for large-scale surface mines.
“I think the majority of miners have walked away from hydrogen or kicked that can a decade down the road,” a veteran Australian mining consultant told InvestMETS.com.
“You know, if Fortescue walked away from hydrogen haul trucks then that’s a sign in itself.”
Komatsu says ultra-class trucks typically work at one mine site throughout their operating life, “which simplifies the challenges of sizing and deploying an effective hydrogen refuelling infrastructure to service the vehicle fleet”.
US car maker GM says 50 years of fuel cell research and product development makes it “one of the only companies with advanced, homegrown technology platforms for both lithium-ion batteries and hydrogen fuel cells”.
“Mining trucks are among the largest, most capable vehicles used in any industry, and we believe hydrogen fuel cells are best suited to deliver zero emissions propulsion to these demanding applications,” said GM’s Hydrotec business executive director, Charlie Freese.
