HIROFUMI YAMANAKA, Nikkei staff writer
February 22, 2021 01:12 JST
TOKYO --
Komatsu, Japan’s top construction equipment maker, plans to develop hydrogen power as an alternative to diesel for heavy-duty mining dump trucks, in a first for the industry, Nikkei has learned.
The company will start its hydrogen development program in 2021 and aims to have the trucks ready for practical use by 2030.
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 a fuel has the benefit of letting zero-emissions trucks travel on routes where power lines do not reach.