World’s largest hydrogen mine truck under development

The Anglo American mining company is partnering with Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) to develop its new fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) set to be the world’s largest hydrogen powered mine truck.

Anglo American has committed to reducing its global greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030.

Putting electrified vehicles into mines – from large haul trucks to passenger vehicles and employee buses – will help Anglo American reach this decarbonisation target.

The FCEV haul truck will be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell module paired with a WAE scalable high-power modular lithium-ion battery system. This arrangement replaces the existing vehicle’s diesel engine, is controlled by a high voltage power distribution unit delivering in excess of 1000kWh of energy storage.

The power units will be designed and built at WAE in Grove, Oxfordshire, and integrated into an existing mining haul truck, with testing taking place later this year at the Mogalakwena platinum group metals mining operation in South Africa.

Through regenerative braking, the battery system will be capable of recovering energy as the haul truck travels downhill. For the project, WAE has drawn on its experience as the sole battery supplier to the FIA Formula E global motorsport series for the first four seasons. WAE is also the sole battery supplier to the new FIA Extreme E racing programme, which begins in 2021.

In line with Anglo American’s commitment to sustainable mining, studies will take place after the initial trials to understand how these power units can be used to provide energy storage in second life applications.

“We are delighted to be involved in this innovative and exciting project which showcases the scalability of battery technology from automotive and motorsport to “heavy duty” industrial applications. Operating within a harsh environment is something we are familiar with as sole battery supplier for the Extreme E programme,” says WAE managing director Craig Wilson.

“We look forward to working with Williams Advanced Engineering to deliver this important step-change technology, a true world first for a vehicle of this size and load capacity,” says Anglo American technology development head Julian Soles.

“We believe Williams can help us to deliver this ground-breaking project, which is part of our plan to create a smart energy mix that moves us closer towards our carbon and energy targets for 2030 and, ultimately, our vision of operating a carbon-neutral mine.”