Sustainable mining company Vale has signed an agreement with Caterpillar to test large battery electric trucks and energy transfer systems.
The agreement will also see Vale conduct studies on ethanol-powered trucks, with the goal to support Vale in achieving its goals of reducing Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 33 per cent by 2030.
Vale will test battery powered trucks with a capacity of 240 tonnes at its operations in Minas Gerais in Brazil. The company will also test Caterpillar’s energy transfer solutions at its operations in Pará, Brazil.
“We are developing a portfolio of options to decarbonise Vale’s operations, including electrification and the use of alternative fuels in the mines,” Vale energy and decarbonisation director Ludmila Nascimento said. “The most viable solutions will be adopted.
“We believe that ethanol has great potential to contribute to the 2030 target because it is a fuel that has already been adopted on a large scale in Brazil, with an established supply network, and which requires an active partnership with manufacturers. We stand together to support them in this goal.”
Caterpillar resource industries group president Denise Johnson said the agreement is a critical element of Caterpillar’s product development process.
“Vale has been a key voice throughout our long history of collaborating on technology and product deployments,” she said.
“We look forward to continuing that collaboration as we launch the next generation of our iconic mining solutions to support our customers’ operational and environmental objectives.”
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