Komatsu, GM to co-develop hydrogen fuel cells for electric trucks

Mining equipment manufacturer Komatsu and automaker General Motors announced on Tuesday they will jointly develop a hydrogen fuel cell power module for the Japanese company's 930E electric drive mining truck.

"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," Charlie Freese, executive director of GM’s Hydrotec business, said in the joint statement.

The two companies will work on a prototype of Komatsu’s hydrogen fuel cell-powered 930E mining truck, which has a nominal payload of 320 tonnes. They said the aimed to test it in the middle of the decade.

GM and Komatsu said that as these mining vehicles usually operate at just one mine throughout their lifetime, which should make it easier to roll out hydrogen refuelling infrastructure to service a vehicle fleet.

The trucks will provide an additional pathway for decarbonization beyond battery-trolley or battery-static charging solutions, without the need for additional charging infrastructure within mines, the partners said.

The Japanese construction and mining machinery maker has set a target of reducing its global emissions by 50% by 2030. It aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 through the reduction and elimination of emissions within the company’s product offerings, as well as in the company’s facilities and production of its products. Komatsu also works closely with its customers on reducing and eliminating emissions during product use through optimization programs supported by its proprietary technology and service solutions.

Vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells, in which hydrogen mixes with oxygen to produce water and energy to power a battery, can refuel in minutes and have a much longer range than battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs). These features has boosted interest from fleet operators in recent months.

GM is involved in similar endeavours with other players in the sector. Just last week, the company and Autocar Industries announced they will start developing hydrogen-powered heavy vehicles, including cement mixers and dump trucks. The first of these machines should go into production in 2026 at Autocar's plant in Birmingham, Alabama. 

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON MINING.COM