• Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • About Us
    1. Sustainability

    Vale, Komatsu, Cummins Target Reducing Carbon Emissions

    Aug. 29, 2024
    New program focuses on retrofitting the 830E and 930E diesel trucks with ethanol-diesel dual fuel engines.
    Related To: Komatsu
    Komatsu
    Komatsu 830E AC truck at the Arizona Proving Grounds
    Komatsu 830E AC truck at the Arizona Proving Grounds

    Komatsu, Vale, and Cummins have entered an agreement to develop a Dual Fuel Program (DF), aimed at retrofitting the 830E and 930E diesel haul trucks with ethanol-diesel dual fuel capable engines, and “advancing sustainability in the mining industry,” the companies say.

    “We are constantly developing and testing solutions to achieve our carbon reduction targets by 2030. This partnership will go a long way in reaching our collective goals,” said Benjamin Stear, EDT product manager at Komatsu, in a statement. “We look forward to partnering with our customers through the DF change management process while maintaining productive operations to reach our emission reduction goals.”

    Vale is also working with Caterpillar to test battery electric mining trucks and to study ethanol-power haul trucks.

    “There is no single solution to reduce carbon emissions from haul trucks, so we are investing on different fronts, such as development with ethanol, studies to increase biofuel in the mix, and tests with electric trucks,” said Ludmila Nascimento, Energy and Decarbonization director at Vale, in a statement. 

    Converting existing diesel engines in haul trucks to run on a mix of ethanol and diesel will extend the trucks’ lifespan and reduce carbon emissions, according to the companies. The retrofitted trucks will be capable of using a fuel mix of up to 70% ethanol and reducing direct CO2 emissions by up to 70%.

    Over the next two years, the DF program is anticipated to include the development, testing, and implementation of ethanol-diesel engines manufactured by Cummins.