Komatsu commissions Australian-first ultra-class truck

The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is a partner with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

In line with its contribution to these goals, Komatsu’s latest truck reduces the volume of fine particles in the air by 80 per cent, allowing the system to work more efficiently.

The technology at play is a high-pressure fuel injection system, which aids the haulage process – a major contributor to mining’s emissions.

Such high-temperature combustion is an unavoidable mining process and knowing this, Komatsu tackled the problem head-on.

Komatsu’s national product manager for mining, Jason Arthur, is proud of his company’s dedication to sustainability.

“Komatsu has a strong commitment to environmental best practice, with a continuous focus on reducing our environmental impacts and our carbon footprint,” he said.

“Our ongoing research and development efforts include developing new products that significantly reduce fuel consumption as well as greenhouse gas emissions” he said.

After the combustion process, the 300-tonne 930E-5 further processes any leftover emissions through a cylinder to reduce any remaining nitrogen oxide greenhouse gas emissions.

On top of this low-emission system, Komatsu’s Tier 4 truck also satisfied its client’s request for noise reduction measures.

Arthur said the truck’s sound-suppression technology more than halved the standard truck’s emitted sound.

“Our US-based Komatsu Engineering team became intimately involved and created a factory-engineered sound suppression solution that would meet our customer’s requirements,” he said.

“Successfully achieving these sound levels was a very challenging undertaking for a large mining truck,” Arthur said.

The new mining truck is just one of many developments from Komatsu, which continues to show initiative in their industry to further reduce greenhouse emissions.

In 2019, Komatsu’s CO2 emissions had been reduced by over 31 per cent since 2010, with a goal of 40 per cent reductions by the end of 2021.