Engie to Build First Hydrogen-Fuelled Mining Truck

France’s Engie has teamed up with international mining concern Anglo American to create and fuel the world’s first hydrogen-powered mining haul truck.

The truck, with a load capacity of 300 mt, will be the largest of its size to be converted to running on hydrogen, Engie said on October 10. Under an agreement reached by the companies, Engie will provide hydrogen tanks, fuel cells and a battery pack to replace the Anglo American truck’s existing diesel tank and engine. The truck will be fuelled with green hydrogen, produced using a solar power plant at Anglo American’s Mogalakwena platinum mining site in South Africa.

The truck will begin operations in 2020, after which a testing and validation programme will take place to prepare for the roll-out of additional hydrogen-fuelled trucks at other Anglo American sites.

“We are delighted to join forces with Anglo American to design the first solution that aims to decarbonise heavy-duty mobility in the mining sector,” the CEO of Engie’s hydrogen business, Michele Azalbert, said. “This is part of Engie’s strategy to develop industrial-scale hydrogen-based solutions to help our energy-intensive customers in their journey to carbon neutrality.”

The mining industry is energy-intensive, making its decarbonisation a priority in the global energy transition. And making hydrogen on-site will at least eliminate the problems of regular conventional fuel deliveries to remote locations.