Japanese integrated trading and investment business Marubeni Corporation has joined the Charge On Innovation Challenge, the global competition for technology innovators seeking to electrify mining truck fleets, it says as “a prospective investor.” Marubeni has major copper and iron ore mining stakes – including 30% in each of Antofagasta PLC’s Antucoya and Centinela plus 15% of Roy Hill Holdings.

Marubeni stated: “In order to achieve a low carbon-emission society, cutting emissions from surface mining operations is an important mission. Therefore, it is essential to develop new concepts for large-scale haul truck electrification systems that can help the mining sector reduce its consumption of diesel fuel, which is a primary source of carbon-emission.” To solve this challenge, BHP, Rio Tinto, and Vale – the Founding Patrons – in partnership with Austmine, launched Charge On in May 2021.

The Founding Patrons have called other global mining companies and companies which have technology to electrify mining truck fleets to join. “Roy Hill, an Australian iron ore mining company in which Marubeni holds interests, and Antofagasta, a Chilean copper mining company with which Marubeni has a partnership, have also joined Charge On. Current stationary charging system/battery technology constrains how much energy can be carried on board a truck. Charge On is expected to attract additional interest from resource companies that maintain substantial haul truck fleets and are looking for innovative concepts to charge their fleets.”

Furthermore, Marubeni says it will explore this opportunity to enhance its cost competitiveness and develop new business by utilising all resources of the Marubeni Group network, “and supports the Founding Patrons, the Patrons, and the technology innovators who participate in Charge On.”

The company also has important links with major mining equipment OEMs, especially with Hitachi via the ZAMine network of companies which includes as an example Hitachi dealerships in Mexico, Peru, Chile, Mongolia and Brazil plus a holding in the Colombian Hitachi dealer CHM Mineria. It also owns 16.7% of Hitachi Construction Machinery (Australia) Pty Ltd and helps finance Hitachi mining equipment deals in Australia through an 80% ownership of Marubeni Equipment Finance (Oceania) Pty Ltd with the remainder held by Hitachi Construction Machinery Co Ltd (HCM).

It is also a Komatsu equipment dealer in the UK, the Philippines, Turkey and Vietnam, and a mining tyre dealer in Russia. And it is an investor in Power Train Technologies, a product support & component servicing business for large scale mining and construction industrial machinery, primarily in Chile.