Komatsu says it will collaborate with its customers – most notably perhaps Rio Tinto – to develop “zero-emission equipment” solutions for the mining industry.
Komatsu, which is a leading supplier of mining vehicles, including an autonomous dump truck, says it plans to utilize electrification for the next generation of its offerings.
Working together to rapidly innovate in support of carbon reduction targets, Komatsu and several of its customers have formed the Komatsu Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Alliance. The founding members of the alliance are Rio Tinto, BHP, Codelco and Boliden.
Through the alliance framework, Komatsu’s GHG partners will work directly with Komatsu to actively collaborate on product planning, development, testing and deployment of the next generation of zero-emission mining equipment and infrastructure.
The alliance’s initial target is advancing Komatsu’s power agnostic truck concept for a haulage vehicle that can run on a variety of power sources including diesel electric, electric, trolley (wired), battery power and even hydrogen fuel cells.
Masayuki Moriyama, president of Komatsu’s mining business division, says: “We are honored that our customers, several of the largest mining companies in the world, have agreed to participate in the Komatsu GHG Alliance and work in partnership with us to develop sustainable solutions for mining.
“We look forward to close collaboration with these industry leaders to accelerate development and deployment of the next level of equipment designed to reduce greenhouse gases from mining operations and ultimately achieve the goal of zero-emission mining.”
The formation of the alliance brings together mining leaders willing to share time, resources and information to deliver zero-emissions equipment solutions. Komatsu intends to expand the alliance to additional mining companies to enhance industry-wide collaboration on solutions to decarbonization.
As a company, Komatsu is committed to minimizing environmental impact through its business, targeting a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions from use of its products and production of its equipment by 2030 (compared to 2010 levels) and a challenge target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Komatsu has worked to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for customers through innovative product development for decades in many areas including electric diesel dump trucks, electric power shovels, regenerative energy storage capabilities and fuel saver programs.
The company’s initial concept for a haulage vehicle that can run on a variety of power sources, part of the power agnostic development, is set to make its official debut at MINExpo 2021 on September 13 in Las Vegas.
