washington business
Rhae Adams , First Mode ’ s chief growth and sustainability officer , shows one of the eight hydrogen fuel cells that power each of the company ’ s mammoth engines as he gives a tour of First Mode ’ s research and development facility in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle .
shoot for the stars
Adams and 10 engineers who had worked together at asteroid-mining company Planetary Resources co-founded First Mode in 2018 . All are still with the company .
As they looked at how to build a business that would help de-carbonize the world , they decided to start with the biggest of the big vehicles , the giant diesel-powered mining trucks that are too big to run on batteries . They saw it as an area ripe for innovation .
“ That was the biggest lever to pull and our problem to solve ,” Adams said . “ Some of these mines have a 100-year life .”
Investing and building zero-emission mining trucks would give a competitive advantage to mining companies that could then sell green platinum , gold , copper and other metals .
“ When looking at our mine sites globally , we realized that the best place to start was the diesel that we consume in our large mining trucks ,” said Julian Soles , head of technology development , mining and sustainability at Anglo American . “ They consume between two and a half to three thousand liters of diesel per day … By converting these diesel trucks to run on hydrogen we ’ ll be eliminating up to 80 percent of the emissions associated with diesel on each mine site .”
bigger than ever
First Mode ’ s engines use hydrogen fuel cells that each produce 100 kilowatts of power — enough to power a city bus . First Mode strings eight of them together , providing half of the power needed to power a state ferry boat . One of their engines could power nearby Lumen Field or 1,500 U . S . homes . They receive their fuel cells from Ballard Power Systems , a manufacturer in Vancouver , British Columbia . That supplier is flexible and collaborative , helping while First Mode invents its products as it goes .
“ This is all new . We need people who understand the problem and can work with us ,” Adams said .
The hydrogen fuel cells provide a steady stream of energy used to charge a battery system that provides surge power for their mining trucks to climb hills . Like a Prius , the engine has a regenerative system to put power back into the battery while braking .
“ It is a smart step for Anglo American , but a giant leap for South Africa ’ s hydrogen economy as we move into the future . The hydrogen economy is beckoning us as a country and as an industry .”
— South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
The term “ first mode ” is a mechanical term of art . It refers to the resonant frequency of an object . A plucked guitar string , for instance , vibrates at its first mode .
The company logo also refers to music — it is a twisted metronome , an instrument used to keep time . The logo also looks like a power button .
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