MINING TRUCKS
U & M Mineração e Construção Project Coordinator Lucca Machado speaking on its hybrid project for the Komatsu 730E at The Electric Mine 2024
of 2025 and after that moving into scale ,” he said . “ We know that [ scaling ] is tough . We have quite a lot of experience with our autonomous project . But we are confident that , working with the partners that we have , we can bring this to our clients at the end of next year .”
U & M has more than 90 Komatsu 730 trucks in a total fleet of about 800 heavy and support
vehicles . It wants to develop a commercial 730 truck retrofit kit costing under US $ 200,000 , sans the battery pack . “ Then the battery will change depending on the chemistry we use and we know that within a couple of years it ’ s going to be a different one ,” Machado said . “ We have a bit over 250 trucks that have 10-20 years of life ahead of them and really running into the risk of being technologically obsolete [ in future ]. So that ’ s a very big motivation for us , along with increased performance [ of the trucks ]. We ’ re aware there are quite a few challenges with these new technologies .”
He adds : “ And we see really that the biggest one of them is trying to fit with the current day operational profile of the trucks . These trucks are running 24-7 . They are very reliable and very flexible . If we ’ re going to help our clients get to their 2030 [ decarbonisation ] goals we need to have different strategies . There isn ’ t going to be
one solution that fits everything . As a mining contractor charging infrastructure is a challenge . We have quite a few short-term contracts . So we have to go to one place and next year we will be somewhere else . So the hybrid retrofit we ’ ve been working on … is a really natural first step for decarbonisation because it ’ s a simple solution and we can make preparations now .”
Cummins commissions hybrid solution with NHL
Cummins Inc says it has commissioned its dieselhybrid solution in partnership with one of China ’ s leading rigid mining truck manufacturers , North Hauler Joint Stock Co ., Ltd . ( NHL ), demonstrating progress in decarbonisation for industrial customers .
The hybrid NHL NTH260 , a 220-t payload mining truck , rolled off the production line in January and is headed to the Baiyun iron mine of Baogang Group , China , to begin field testing in March . As a power solutions provider , Cummins ’ optimised hybrid system allows the truck engine to be downsized from the previous 2,500 horsepower QSK60 to the current 2,000 HP twostage QSK50 .
“ We ’ re excited to share this significant milestone in our journey to advance bridge technologies and provide our mining customers with innovative , practical decarbonisation solutions ,” said Jenny Bush , Cummins Power Systems President , who joined key leaders from Cummins Power Systems China for the commissioning ceremony in the NHL industrial park in Bautou , China , said .
The truck is expected to provide a leading total cost of ownership based on initial cost advantages , fuel efficiency and extended service life of the engine , Cummins says . Improved fuel efficiency directly correlates to emissions and greenhouse gas reductions . Advanced hybrids have the potential to improve fuel efficiency up to 30 % dependent on the mine profile and advanced battery technology and controls integration , according to the company .
Haiquan Guo , General Manager , NHL , said : “ Our partnership with Cummins spans 40 years and advancing the hybridisation of our equipment is another demonstration of what we can accomplish together for the benefit of miners globally .”
NHL produces trucks with payload range from 35 t to 360 t , with Cummins as the standard engine configuration .
Molly Puga , Cummins Power Systems Executive Director of Strategy , Digital and
The hybrid NHL NTH260 , a 220 metric ton payload mining truck developed in partnership with Cummins
JULY 2024 | International Mining 39