Last year, Komatsu and some of its customers formed the Komatsu Greenhouse Gas Alliance in order to promote the electrification of the mining sector, with the first objective being the further development of an existing project from the Japanese company.

According to Electrive, the companies will be focused on the research and development of a mining vehicle that will be able to run on multiple fuel sources, including a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain, overhead line and even fuel cells.

Cummins officials stated that "the collaboration with Cummins complements Komatsu’s development of the power-independent truck."

Amy Davis, vice president at Cummins, stated that "Komatsu’s extensive mining and equipment design and integration expertise coupled with our advanced energy technologies, including hydrogen fuel cells, will accelerate the decarbonisation of mining equipment. The mining industry has great potential to lead the adoption of renewable solutions."

Cummins and Komatsu have been collaborating for some time already, with the Japanese construction equipment manufacturer using diesel engines from Cummins in the past.

Masayuki Moriyama, president of Komatsu’s Mining Business Division, said that "Cummins has been a long-time partner of Komatsu and has invested in the key technologies needed to support the energy transition in mining."

"These are critical technologies to help mining customers reduce CO2 emissions and accelerate carbon neutrality", he added.