General Motors and Komatsu will co-develop a hydrogen fuel cell power module for Komatsu’s 930E electric drive mining truck. The companies said they will jointly design and validate the technology.
Fuel cells provide a zero tailpipe emissions solution for vehicles with extreme hauling requirements, like the Komatsu 930E mining truck, with its nominal payload of 320 tons, GM said. These vehicles typically operate at a single mine throughout their life, which simplifies the challenges of sizing and deploying an effective hydrogen refueling infrastructure to service the vehicle fleet.
Komatsu has set a target of reducing its global emissions by 50% by 2030 and a target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The plans for achieving these goals include reducing and eliminating emissions within the company’s product offerings, as well as in the company’s facilities and production of its products, it said.
GM said its target is to be fully carbon-neutral in both products and operations by 2040.
GM and Komatsu said they intend to test the prototype Hydrotec-powered mining vehicle in the mid-2020s at Komatsu’s Arizona Proving Grounds (AZPG) research and development facility. This vehicle will be powered by over 2 megawatts of Hydrotec power cubes.
GM has been conducting fuel cell research and product development for more than 50 years. GM and Komatsu believe these complementary technologies can help spur the adoption of lower-emission mobility solutions and help other industries beyond passenger vehicles meet their sustainability goals.
