The Komatsu behemoths are among the biggest consumers of diesel fuel, General Motors is coming to their aid!
In mining, we don't joke about the need for power and torque. The problem is that, to do this, we consume a lot, but an innovative solution will replace the exhaust gases with water!
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Strategic partnership between GM and Komatsu
The mining industry, often criticized for its environmental footprint, could find salvation thanks to an unprecedented partnership between General Motors (GM), the historic car manufacturer, and Komatsuthe world's leading manufacturer of heavy equipment. By joining forces, the two giants want to create trucks running on hydrogen fuel cells to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the massive use of vehicles diesel in mines.
GM HYDROTEC hydrogen fuel cell technology
The cornerstone of this initiative lies in technology HYDROTEC developed by GM: hydrogen fuel cells are designed to provide an ecological and efficient alternative to traditional thermal engines. Unlike fossil fuels, the hydrogen used in these batteries only emits water! It accumulates a large energy autonomy, perfect for the sustained rhythms of mining activities, a high torque, fundamental for the transport of ore, a ease of integration compared to rechargeable electric.
The Komatsu series compatible with HYDROTEC technology
Among the many emblematic vehicles of Komatsuit is the 930E series which will be the first equipped with the technology HYDROTEC. These trucks, designed to transport hundreds of tons, are among the most used in global mining operations. A typical Komatsu mining truck consumes between 150 and 300 liters of diesel per hour under normal working conditions. This represents an annual consumption of several hundred thousand liters for a single vehicle, and therefore several tons of CO2. With the adoption of HYDROTEC batteries, these trucks will become COMPLETELY CARBON NEUTRAL.
Environmental and economic impacts
Today's mining trucks are among the industry's biggest polluters, with annual emissions that can exceed 3,000 tonnes of CO2 per truck (based on a liter equivalent of diesel to 2.6 kg of CO2). By adopting GM's HYDROTEC system, these emissions will be reduced to ZEROprovided that the hydrogen used is produced in a clean manner, of course! And although the initial investment in hydrogen technology is high, mining companies could save on fuel costs in the long run. And by integrating these trucks, mining companies will be able to meet increasingly stringent regulatory requirements.
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This article explores the partnership between Komatsu and General Motors in the design of mining machines consuming hydrogen thanks to the HYDROTEC system, a sector which pollutes enormously and whose benefit would be immediate. Although the promise is great, the production of hydrogen or even of these behemoths does not say how many tonnes of CO2 it emits during manufacturing.
Source : General Motors
