The world's largest hydrogen dump truck is tested at the mine

Concern Anglo American reported that one of the platinum quarries in South Africa began testing a truck that runs on hydrogen fuel. The model is an in-house development of the company, created as part of the nuGen Zero Emission Haulage Solution program, which provides for the transition to environmentally friendly vehicles within 10 years.

Features of the project

The need to update the fleet has been brewing for a long time. The Mogalakwena PGMs mine employs 40 trucks at all times, each burning about 1 million liters of diesel annually, accounting for 80% of total consumption. The transfer of this type of equipment to environmentally friendly fuel will reduce atmospheric pollution by several times.



It is planned to replace the entire fleet by 2026. And by 2030, it is planned to use a modification on hydrogen at all eight mines of the concern. The company has invested millions of dollars in the development of the dump truck model. In the future, it is planned to collect a novelty not only for their own needs, but also for sale. The creators are confident that it will be in demand in all mining sectors. Interest has already been expressed by several buyers from America, Europe and Africa.

Description of the novelty

The prototype is being tested to test the reliability of all systems and address potential issues. Its work is constantly monitored by a team of engineers, a number of tests will be carried out during operation, after which the identified shortcomings will be eliminated and serial production of the model will begin.



The car is equipped with a hydrogen battery that produces 2 megawatts, which is an order of magnitude more than that of its diesel predecessor. Due to this, the truck can carry up to 320 tons of payload. A 1,2 MWh battery is used. To make platinum ore mining carbon neutral, a 140 megawatt solar power plant has already been built. It will power a plant that decomposes water and produces fuel for sustainable transport, in addition, it feeds a number of other systems.



The model meets all safety requirements for equipment working in quarries. It is in no way inferior to the standard options, so there will be no problems with certification. Documents will be submitted immediately after the end of the prototype tests, it will take no more than 3 months.