Komatsu Ltd has equipped its flagship large dump truck, the 92-t payload HD785, with a hydrogen combustion engine as part of its ongoing concept machine development plans.
The company has commenced proof-of-concept tests at its Ibaraki Plant (Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture), marking, it says, the world’s first attempt to equip a large dump truck with a hydrogen combustion engine.
Through these tests, Komatsu aims to accumulate knowledge on hydrogen engine utilisation, laying the foundation for future development of “hydrogen-powered construction and mining equipment”.
Komatsu has been advancing the development and use of new power sources to achieve carbon neutrality. While developing hydrogen engines as one of the options, Komatsu has focused on the technological expertise of KEYOU GmbH (hereinafter referred to as KEYOU), a German start-up, which specialised in the development and implementation of hydrogen engines for large trucks.
The concept machine is equipped with a hydrogen combustion engine and hydrogen tank system, which are co-developed by Komatsu and KEYOU. The hydrogen tank is mounted on a platform beside the operator’s cab to maximise hydrogen storage capacity. Additionally, to ensure clear visibility for the operator, cameras and monitors have been installed both inside and outside the cab. The proof-of-concept tests will focus on evaluating driving performance, continuous operating hours, fuel efficiency and verifying safety measures related to high-pressure hydrogen gas usage.
Komatsu said: “Compared with batteries and hydrogen fuel cells, the use of hydrogen combustion engines in construction and mining equipment has the advantage of a relatively lower cost, because the powertrain components of existing diesel-powered machines can be used without replacement. Furthermore, with virtually zero CO2 emissions, some mining customers have expressed interest in adopting hydrogen engines as one of the options to achieve carbon neutrality at their sites. While there are challenges such as safety management and infrastructure for hydrogen supply, Komatsu will work to address these issues in collaboration with industry associations and other related stakeholders.”
Under its mid-term management plan, Komatsu has set the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 50% from its products in use and in its production operations, each by 2030 (compared with 2010 levels), with the challenging target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. To date, the company has introduced hydraulic excavators, tethered electric hydraulic excavators, and small and medium-sized battery-powered hydraulic excavators to the market. In addition, Komatsu is working on various environmentally responsive technologies from all aspects, including the use of carbon-neutral fuels, the development of power supply systems for battery-equipped construction equipment, proof-of-concept tests for hydrogen fuel cell-powered excavator, and the development of a power agnostic truck.