A successful collaboration between National Group, Komatsu Australia and Cummins South Pacific is delivering efficiency gains and environmental benefits for mining companies through advanced engine technology. In early 2023, National Group, a leading privately owned mining services firm, embarked on the largest engine upgrade in its history.

The goal was upgrading each engine in 16 Komatsu 830E haul trucks used at the Lake Lindsay and Curragh coal mines in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland. National Group’s multi-million-dollar project involved converting the Cummins Tier 1 QSK60 engines in the haul trucks to the Cummins ‘Advantage’ solution.

Cummins’ Advantage solution enables the QSK60 to be upgraded to the latest diesel technology at overhaul time with no major changes to the base 60-litre V16 design. The result is lower fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and a substantial extension to engine life in the haul trucks.

National Group Founder and Managing Director, Mark Ackroyd, says the engine project is part of his firm’s ongoing commitment to provide one of the largest and most advanced equipment fleets in Australia’s mining sector.

“National Group continues to invest heavily in its fleet,” says Ackroyd. “We are providing more equipment that utilises latest technology to help our mining clients reduce their fuel consumption and carbon footprint.”

The engine upgrade is an important part of National Group’s broader Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy. In 2023, National Group launched its Sustainability Strategy to build on its previous sustainability achievements and provide a roadmap to expand its ESG focus this decade.

“The engine upgrade is the largest initiative so far resulting from National Group’s new sustainability strategy,” says Ackroyd. “We plan to further expand our ESG focus and are encouraged by the early success of the engine upgrade project. The feedback from project stakeholders is very positive.”

To date, 12 of 16 engines have been upgraded on time and on budget, with no safety incidents or project setbacks. The remaining engines are expected to be upgraded this year, meaning all 16 trucks will soon be out in the field.

The project’s complexity is reflected in the amount of planning required, the number of people involved across three firms, and the scale of National Group’s investment to upgrade 16 engines.

Each engine, about 2.5 m high and 3 m wide, was removed onsite and upgraded by Cummins engineers. Cummins mostly upgraded National Group’s own engines and resupplied them as certified MCRS engines. For National Group, that meant getting back the engines it originally purchased and which are familiar to their onsite maintenance teams

The modularised engines were then sent to one of Komatsu’s Mackay workshops for engine overhaul/upgrades, then returned to site to be reinstalled into the next 830E. Each overhaul/upgrade in Mackay took around 200 hours, including extensive testing.

The key technology upgrade was to the engine’s fuel injection system. The early high-pressure unit injection system (HPI) was replaced with the high-pressure modular common rail system (MCRS) that now features on all of Cummins’ latest-generation high-horsepower engines.

Cummins’ Advantage solution also includes innovative combustion technology engineered for Tier 4 Final and Stage V emissions compliance – the most stringent off-highways emissions standards in the world delivering a proven 63% reduction in diesel particulate matter. In addition, the reduction in fuel consumption supports a reduction of scope 1 emissions (CO2) aligned to the National greenhouse and energy reporting act 2007 (NGER).

Glen Evans, Branch Manager at Cummins in Emerald, says the engine upgrade required extensive collaboration. “A lot of credit should go to the teams at National Group, Komatsu and Cummins on this project. Everyone worked together really well to understand each other’s needs, what was required and how to ensure the project achieved its goals. The project has been a good opportunity for Cummins to expand its relationship with National Group.”

At the ground level, Evans’ colleague, Fredy Cerdan, Product Support Representative at Cummins, liaised with National Group Maintenance Superintendent Damien Melville.

A larger group of stakeholders from National Group, Cummins and Komatsu was then formed and the group met before the project officially began.

Gary Clarke, Regional Service Manager Queensland at Komatsu Australia, says a unique feature of the Komatsu Truck is its modularisation. “All the engine components are in one module that slides in and out of the 830E. It’s a really great design and means we were able to complete all of the upgrades and modifications off the truck which reduced downtime when we completed the installations on site.”

Komatsu technicians have to rebuild the modularised engine to other parts in the 830E – a lengthy process given the size of the equipment. “With the MCRS Engine, we are installing a 60-litre engine into a very large haul truck,” says Clarke. “For comparison, with a car, you’re typically talking about a 3-4-litre engine.”

Clarke says the engine installations have gone smoothly. “There have been no quality issues with the build or installation, everything has been delivered on time and there have been no safety incidents. The first upgraded 830E has been in operation for over a year and 11 others are in the field. From Komatsu’s perspective, the results so far have been as expected.”

Clarke says Komatsu welcomed the opportunity to work closer with National Group. “It’s one of the biggest projects Komatsu has ever undertaken for National Group, so it’s great that the relationship between our organisations continues to grow. The National Group and Cummins team have been great to work with.”

National Group, says Clarke, deserves credit for its investment in the project. “Costly upgrades of equipment to deliver environmental and efficiency benefits are not something mining contractors in Queensland are required to do. The direct benefits of reduced fuel consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions go to the client rather than the contractor. National Group had the foresight to make a major long-term investment in this project for its clients, even though it receives indirect benefits from the engine upgrade.”

For National Group’s Mark Ackroyd, the main benefit is helping clients achieve their goals. “Our firm’s DNA has always been built on being very customer- focused. Our clients want to use mining equipment that reduces their carbon footprint through lower fuel consumption. We are responding to our clients’ needs through this investment in engine upgrades.”

Ackroyd says the project delivers other long-term benefits for National Group. “We’ve further strengthened our relationship with Komatsu and Cummins and our people have learnt more about collaboration on large projects. As we continue to expand and upgrade National Group’s fleet, in response to rising demand for our services, collaboration skills with other firms are increasingly valuable.”

Another benefit of the project is its alignment with National Group’s sustainability strategy. “The risk with developing a sustainability strategy is that it looks great on paper, but ultimately sits on the shelf,” says Ackroyd, “This project shows how serious we are about implementing our new sustainability strategy and expanding our ESG focus through major investments that will benefit our clients, mining workers, communities and the environment for years to come.”

Ackroyd expects National Group to further upgrade its fleet in the next few years. “It’s something we are looking at. Our business has a lot of momentum and capacity to invest. We see the quality of our fleet, and the maintenance skills behind it, as key competitive advantages that we continue to build on to support our clients as they grow.