Hydra aims to use a hydrogen fuel cell-based powertrain for heavy machinery in mining. This will allow the replacement of diesel to achieve the decarbonization goals of the mining industry.
To achieve this goal, various workflows will be carried out, including a pre-feasibility and engineering study of a propulsion system, and the renewable hydrogen value chain. This includes the design, manufacture of a prototype composed by a 60 kW fuel cell and 140 kWh battery which will be tested under mining conditions (altitude, dust, temperature, etc.).
Along 2021-2022, the project will carry out the pre-feasibility study and engineering for the H2 mining truck solution, including the H2 supply chain.
In addition, a prototype will be built to evaluate the performance of the FC + Battery powertrain under specific mining conditions.
Both activities will allow us to validate the business case in further detail.
By 2023, we expect to be demonstrating the H2 mining truck solution at the scale of 1 truck, by swapping the 2MW diesel engine of a mining truck with a fully electric fuel cell + battery powertrain.
The renewable hydrogen will be produced through an electrolysis plant powered by renewable energy.
By 2025, we expect to scale up the H2 mining truck solution,
changing an entire fleet of trucks at a specific mining site.
This will allow the mining company to reach its decarbonization targets, while it would also trigger the development of renewable hydrogen in Chile, a first crucial step towards becoming a potential renewable H2 exporter.
January 26th 2022
October 7th 2021
April 15th 2021
August 6th 2020
July 29th 2020
“Mining3 has already identified a number of projects that are aligned with both ENGIE's strategy and the present and future needs of the mining industry. We believe these are just a small sample of what can be done in this collaborative space, and we are excited to develop an energy roadmap for our members that is diverse and progressive”.
“These solutions will help industry players to achieve their carbon neutrality goals, as well as help to reduce emissions in countries where mining is a key sector such as Australia, Brazil, Chile, Peru and South Africa, where we are developing Hydrogen projects”.