Hitachi Construction Machinery and Hitachi Industrial Products have announced plans for a hybrid dump truck demonstration test project at a South African mining site, as part of an initiative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO)
The project was selected on 2nd November for inclusion in UNIDO’s industrial cooperation in the Global South through technology transfer from Japan programme.
Hitachi cites reductions in fuel costs and CO2 emissions that together will contribute to the development of the countries of the Global South through Japanese technology.
The hybrid dump truck will be working at an undisclosed mine site in South Africa’s Limpopo Province.
UNIDO is conducting the programme to promote technological innovation, strengthen supply chains and establish industrial infrastructure in Global South countries by supporting Japanese firms in conducting large-scale demonstrations, funded by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
“Numerous pieces of mining machinery operate at mining sites, and most are powered by diesel engines,” the Hitachi companies said in a media statement.
“Diesel fuel is the primary cost factor in mine operations, and reducing fuel consumption has been a challenge for many years.”
In addition, it added, the CO2 emissions generated by dump trucks account for more than 50% of the total emissions from mining machinery in operation at mines in many cases, which makes reducing environmental impact an “urgent issue”.
To address these challenges, the project will manufacture a hybrid dump truck for demonstration testing based on an electrically driven EH4000AC-3 rigid dump truck that uses a diesel engine as its power source.
The demonstration truck will be equipped with an AC drive system manufactured by Hitachi Industrial Products, which operates using electricity generated by a diesel engine and electricity recovered through regenerative braking and stored in onboard batteries.
As part of the implementation, Hitachi Construction Machinery will provide training on the repair and maintenance of hybrid dump trucks to service personnel in South Africa, as well as locally transfer knowledge and conduct human resource development.
“Compared to the existing EH4000AC-3, the demonstration test dump truck reduces both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 10% or more, which helps reduce lifecycle costs and the environmental impact in mining operations,” the Hitachi statement added.
“In addition, the use of HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) may theoretically reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90%, which has the technical potential to accelerate decarbonisation efforts.”
Furthermore, it added, the ability to retrofit existing dump trucks into hybrid dump trucks will enable mining companies to effectively utilise the assets that they own and support the realisation of sustainable operations.
Hitachi Construction Machinery has also promoted the joint development and demonstration testing of full battery dump trucks to realise net zero emissions at mining sites.
“Hitachi Industrial Products will contribute to improving environmental performance — such as better vehicle fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions — by adding service offerings that utilise battery power for AC drive systems in the existing installed base,” the company added.
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Hitachi powering change in South Africa's mines. (Image source: Hitachi)
