The fuel cells will total 3MW and power several hydrogen and battery ultra-class mining haul trucks, which are estimated to save 2,600 tonnes of diesel fuel each year.
The 30 hydrogen fuel cell modules will be integrated into clean energy powerplants in Seattle, Washington and installed into trucks to be operated at First Mode’s Proving Grounds in Centralia.
David Mucciacciaro, Ballard’s Chief Commercial Officer, said, “The mining industry annually contributes up to 7% of the world’s carbon emissions and roughly half of these emissions comes from mobile diesel applications, including haul trucks.
“Together with First Mode, we are continuing to demonstrate a viable pathway to decarbonise mining trucks by using Ballard’s leading hydrogen fuel cells. These additional truck deployments highlight the opportunities ahead for fuel cell commercialisation in hard-to-abate sectors.”
Julian Soles, First Mode CEO, said, “Every one of the Ballard fuel cell modules that First Mode retrofits into an ultra-class haul truck means an immediate reduction in diesel fuel use and moving the mining industry another step closer to decarbonisation.
“Utilising hydrogen and battery technology in our nuGen™ systems allows our customers to achieve the best haul truck performance and range without sacrificing availability.”
Ballard recently announced its collaborating with Ashok Leyland and Adani to develop a hydrogen fuel cell electric truck for mining logistics and transportation in India.
The project is led by Adani Enterprises Limited, and the vehicle will utilise Ballard’s 120kW FCMove™ fuel cell engine, with Ashok Leyland set to supply the vehicle platform and technical support.
Read more: Adani, Ashok Leyland, Ballard to develop hydrogen-powered mining and logistics truck for India
Last year, Ballard revealed its fuel cells have successfully been installed onboard Norled’s MF Hydra liquid hydrogen-powered ferry, ahead of the vessel’s first sea trials next month, the ‘first’ ferry in the world powered by proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells running on liquid hydrogen.
Ballard said its two 200kW FCWave™ fuel cell modules that have been integrated into the vessel meet specific requirements for the maritime industry.
Read more: Ballard fuel cells successfully installed onboard the ‘world’s first’ liquid hydrogen-powered ferry
A Successful Ecosystem for Green Hydrogen – London
It is becoming ever clearer that the entire green hydrogen ecosystem requires alignment. Hydrogen’s potential, performance, and safety are proven. Green hydrogen is widely accepted as a core pathway to Net Zero, yet the key levers in the transition are not yet in-sync.
At H2 View we recognise the increasingly challenging economic climate that various countries/economies are currently facing. We want to help as many companies as possible in the hydrogen space to achieve their needs as competitively and logically as possible. As a result, we felt it was a compelling decision to relocate our previously planned event in Iceland, to a venue in London.
Join H2 View in London, one of the foremost investment capitals of the world, for a 1.5-day event devoted to thought leadership, insights, and actionable takeaways in the green hydrogen ecosystem, combined with the connections and networking to deliver against those objectives.
This H2 View hydrogen summit is dedicated to dissecting the ecosystem requirements to truly realise a green hydrogen-fuelled future across industries, transport, and society. This event will tackle all sides of the energy ecosystem, from wind and solar power requirements to additionality, water sustainability, electrolyser technologies, and investment and policy climate.
You can find more information at h2-viewevents.com