Greenhouse Gases from Mining Are Targeted
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions at mining sites is a pressing issue. The number of emissions from mines around the world is about 1.9 to 5.1 billion tons per year, which is more than Japan’s annual emissions of about 1.1 billion tons. In addition to methane gas emissions from coal mining, heavy equipment powered by diesel engines is also a source of emissions, and there is a trend toward electrification of mining equipment.
In August, Komatsu announced the development of a diesel-ethanol blended fuel engine. The engine is for large dump trucks, and Komatsu will work with Brazilian mining giant Vale and U.S. engine giant Cummins. Brazil has a high global share of bioethanol production from plant materials. The use of bioethanol is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 70%. The company wants to put it into practice at Vale’s mining sites. In 2023, it signed an agreement with General Motors of the United States to jointly develop hydrogen fuel cell modules. The goal is to install the batteries in large dump trucks with a load capacity of about 290 tons and to start testing them in the second half of the 2020s.
