BHP, Australia’s largest mining company, plans to reduce its carbon emissions by testing heavy-haul trucks powered by electric motors charged with renewable energy. Currently, these massive trucks, which operate around the clock in open-pit mines, consume significant amounts of diesel fuel, contributing to 40% of the company’s carbon emissions.
James Agar, BHP’s group procurement officer, aims to electrify the fleet of 650 heavy-haul trucks weighing 20 to 25 tonnes each, replacing their polluting fossil fuel engines with electric motors and eight-tonne batteries.
To achieve its emission reduction goals, BHP has partnered with industrial equipment manufacturers Caterpillar and Komatsu to develop electric versions of the trucks. The electric trucks are equipped with batteries that currently last for about an hour but can be recharged in 15 minutes. Efforts are being made to extend the battery life.
BHP plans to conduct trials of these electric trucks in its Pilbara iron ore operations in Western Australia next year.
The company is also replacing fossil fuel power contracts with renewable energy sources and exploring ways to optimize the flow of energy from wind, solar, or other renewable sources into the vehicle’s battery.
BHP has set targets to be net-zero by 2050 and achieve a 30% reduction by 2030. The adoption of electric trucks and the use of renewable energy are crucial steps in achieving these goals and reducing the company’s environmental impact.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
