Chile announces plan to convert mining trucks to hydrogen system
Chilean government’s Corporation for the Promotion of Production (Corfo) launched the Strategic Technological Program for “Development of Hydrogen-Diesel Combustion System for Mining Trucks (CAEX),” which aims to adopt, develop and industrialize technological solutions allowing the operation of the extraction trucks to be changed to a hydrogen/diesel dual fuel combustion, in order to reduce the CO2 emissions and to comply with the international standards of the industry.
The call, open until August 28, arises because of Chile’s opportunities associated with its natural singularities, the potential of solar energy, lithium production and the largest metallic mining district in the world. These are some of the advantages that can be used to develop a new industrial-mining economy in the north, based on clean energy, with innovative, cost-effective and low carbon footprint processes, to supply increasingly demanding destination markets.
Mining, as a whole, constitutes one of the most important economic sectors of the country, currently contributing almost 12% to the Chilean GDP. In turn, the sector consumes 78,000 TJ of diesel per year, of which almost 88% corresponds to transportation in the open pit mine. This fuel consumption leads to the generation of greenhouse gases (GHG), which are considered to be the cause of global warming.
Corfo’s executive vice president, Eduardo Bitran, explained: “Reducing 60-70% of diesel emissions currently used has an impact not only on decreasing carbon footprint, but also in terms of improving productivity, because this is profitable from the productive point of view in a very short term. It is a set of opportunities allowing Chile to be the world center for the development of hydrogen, first for mining, but in the future to study engines for extractive fishing in the north of the country and in southern Peru.”
In addition, he emphasized that the objective of the program is the industrialization of Chile, through the incorporation of alternative fuel trucks in mining and for this it is necessary to count on the support of the great world suppliers.
https://www.ngvjournal.com/chile-announces-plan-to-convert-mining-trucks-to-hydrogen-system/