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Komatsu has set a goal of halving carbon dioxide emissions from its construction and mining equipment by fiscal 2030, compared with fiscal 2010 levels. In one initiative, the company has teamed with a US maker of commercial electric vehicles to produce electrified heavy machinery, looking to begin mass production as early as 2023.

This effort to bring hydrogen power, which has made inroads into buses and road trucks, to mining comes as Komatsu customers seek to strip as much carbon dioxide emissions as they can from their business. Some mining trucks run on electricity from overhead power lines, but most are diesel-powered. Using hydrogen as fuel has the benefit of letting zero-emissions trucks travel on routes where power lines do not reach.

Weighing 600 tonne or more when loaded, mining trucks are huge even compared with buses. In terms of hydrogen power, they present a different level of technical challenges than everyday fuel cell vehicles.

Costs pose another hurdle. Komatsu plans to procure fuel cells for its hydrogen-powered trucks from outside suppliers. Fuel cell stacks used in electricity generation are expensive. But mass production is expected to bring down their prices if they are used in a broader range of applications.

Mining equipment accounts for roughly 40 % of Komatsu's sales. Given mining's importance, the company aims to adapt to the industry's shift away from fossil fuels.

Written from a company news release.