Cummins and Komatsu have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the event of hybrid powertrains for floor haulage heavy mining tools.
As a part of this collaboration, Komatsu has included Wabtec, its drive system provider, extending their involvement in offering superior, dependable powertrain options and optimisation for the subsequent era of hybrid mining tools.
Constructing on a robust legacy of diesel engine provide throughout all kinds of mining and development tools, Cummins and Komatsu will add hybrids to their product roadmaps of energy know-how options for progressive decarbonisation in giant mining haul truck functions.
This joint improvement effort will allow the acceleration of optimised hybrid options for mining. Retrofit hybrid options maintain the potential to assist mining prospects speed up their decarbonization journey right now whereas reducing the price of operations of their put in fleet property. Hybrid options yield gas financial savings by capturing braking power whereas delivering productiveness enhancements by way of quicker cycle occasions.
“We’re thrilled to associate with Komatsu as soon as once more to convey the newest developments to the mining sector,” says Gbile Adewunmi, Cummins vice chairman – industrial markets, energy programs. “We’ve a strong staff of Cummins and former First Mode consultants devoted to hybrid improvement and optimization, and now collaborating with Komatsu, we are able to convey miners the pliability and confidence they should decarbonize and enhance complete price of operations.”
Cummins’ acquisition of First Mode property in February 2025 brings essential capabilities and improvement tempo to the efforts, with pilot models deploying but this yr.
“This collaboration with Cummins is a crucial step in advancing sensible decarbonization options,” says Dan Funcannon, senior vice chairman, Komatsu Floor Haulage Enterprise Unit. “Collectively, we’re serving to bridge present operational wants with future low-carbon objectives to assist our prospects’ sustainability efforts.”
Like Cummins, Komatsu is dedicated to decreasing environmental affect by way of its enterprise, concentrating on carbon neutrality from use of its merchandise and manufacturing of its tools by 2050. Hybrids present a significant first step in direction of this objective, whereas additionally meaningfully bettering complete price of possession by way of gas financial savings and productiveness advantages.
“Commercialising hybrid retrofit kits is a key first step,” says Molly Puga, First Mode basic supervisor. “With the tempo of improvement already below method now accelerated by this collaborative partnership, we’re assured in delivering hybrid merchandise at scale nicely prematurely of 2030. The preliminary First Mode retrofit package pilot will go into the market within the coming months, the place we anticipate to see double-digit gas financial savings in mining operations.”
In 2024, Cummins and Komatsu teamed up with Vale on one other decarbonisation mission, partnering to develop twin gas haul vans, utilising a mixture of ethanol in diesel, to scale back CO2 emissions. Each initiatives assist Cummins’ Vacation spot Zero, the corporate’s dedication to sustainability and serving to its prospects navigate the power transition.
Picture: Komatsu
