A global mining company will transition away from fossil fuelled heavy vehicles.
Vale recently approved running electric haul trucks to reduce its carbon footprint.
The proponent signed a new agreement with Caterpillar to trial battery powered heavy vehicles with a capacity of 240 tons (217 metric tonnes) at the Minas Gerais mine.
The deal also involves exploring diesel and ethanol dual-fuel solutions for existing trucks. This is promised to help Vale reduce scope one and two carbon emissions by 33 per cent before the year 2030.
“There have been significant advances in the development of electric truck technology in recent years and these innovations will play an important role in bringing our net emissions to zero by 2050,” engineering, mine and plant operations director José Baltazar said in a public statement.
“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,” energy and decarbonization director Ludmila Nascimento added.
Vale estimates reducing scope one and two carbon emissions by 33 per cent could cost the company between US$4 billion (A$6.1B) and US$6B (A$9.2B).
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