Komatsu Ltd. and ABB Process Automation agreed Aug. 12 to jointly develop net-zero emissions solutions for mining and other heavy industrial machinery. They plan to establish an open, interoperable platform that can enable renewable energy generation and management, and replace diesel with fully electrified mining equipment. These efforts are expected to decarbonize mining operations, while enabling continued productivity, energy efficiency and value. Each company will nominate specialists for a working group that will develop recommendations and strategies about what net-zero emission systems would likely require.
“We’re pleased to collaborate with ABB, and excited to leverage one another’s products and technological expertise to move mining operations toward net-zero emissions,” says Dan Funcannon, SVP of surface haulage at Komatsu. “This will empower a sustainable future, where people, businesses and the planet thrive together.”
For a firsthand look at their collaboration, ABB’s Robot Automated Connection Device (ACD) will be featured at Komatsu’s exhibit at MineExpo 2024 on Sept. 24-26 in Las Vegas. Robot ACD is expected to provide an interoperable connection that can work in tandem with ABB’s future eMine FastCharge solution for battery-electric trucks.
“By working together, we’ll tackle electrification and make a revolutionary difference in the way mining companies operate in the near future,” adds Joachim Braun, division president at ABB Process Industries. “We believe there will be mutual business benefits and potential technology solutions for the mining market. Collaboration across the industry has already enabled real and faster progress, and we look forward to driving what happens next.”
