The world’s largest zero-emission haul truck made its debut, powered by engineering firm First Mode’s clean energy innovation. The ultra-class haul truck once burned thousands of gallons of diesel fuel per year, but now it’s powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and lithium-ion battery powerplant designed and built by First Mode engineers in Seattle.
As tall as a three-story building and weighing 200 tons empty, this truck can carry up to 290 tons of ore. Deploying Anglo American and First Mode’s zero-emission power source keeps 700 cars’ worth of carbon dioxide emissions out of the atmosphere. Large trucks currently account for 70-80% of diesel fuel consumption at Anglo American’s mine sites.
The mining industry accounts for approximately 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions, with diesel haul trucks representing as much as 50% of total energy use at mine sites. According to the World Economic Forum, the transition to clean energy needed to avoid the worst effects of climate change could require as much as 3 billion tons of metals, for batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and other devices.
First Mode continues to hire worldwide, targeting rapid growth at its headquarters and hardware development centers in Seattle, and its new 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Perth, Australia.
