Anglo Hopes To Run Truck On Hydrogen In 12 Months
Date: Apr 04, 2019
Diversified mining company Anglo American hopes to have a truck running on hydrogen in the next 12 months, Anglo American technical director Tony O’Neill said on Wednesday, when he spoke of foreseeing the company’s installed diesel fleet one day being replaced by an electrical alternative.
To test the departure from the use of carbon fuels in the operations, O’Neill disclosed during Anglo’s yearly sustainability presentation.
A graphic displayed during the presentation, hosted by Anglo CE Mark Cutifani, showed solar panels providing electricity for hydrogen used by haul trucks, highlighting the delivery of enduring value through the transformational use of renewable energy.
The approach was to produce hydrogen with excess photovoltaic power and then allow that hydrogen to be consumed in trucks. This provides energy security, price resilience, lower greenhouse gas emissions, a move to the hydrogen economy using the next generation of mining vehicles and an opportunity for community participation.
“We looked at the trucks and re-engineered the way they work and found that all of a sudden we could get 5% to 10% more out of them,” said O’Neill in outlining Anglo’s intent to create a smart energy mix that allows it to be carbon neutral and have an entirely different footprint.
