ABC #397

NEWS
WA INVESTING IN HYDROGEN
MINING BUSES
AS PART of a major Western
Australia Government
announcement on renewable
hydrogen production, use and the
de-carbonisation of vehicle fleets,
Hyzon Motors fuel-cell buses will
power Fortescue Metals Group’s
mining industry “carbon-neutral
pursuit”, it’s been announced.
Fortescue Metals Group Ltd’s
selection of Hyzon to deploy
its hydrogen fuel cell-powered
coaches to the Christmas
Creek iron ore mine – as part
of Fortescue’s commitment to
accelerating emissions reduction
in its mining operations – will
mean hydrogen-powered coaches
operating in the Pilbara mining
region of Western Australia as a
direct replacement of traditional
diesel coaches, it states.
Hyzon Motors fuel-cell coaches
will start operating in the Pilbara
from mid-2021, it reports.
Previous deployments of
fuel-cell buses were limited to
city cycles, where the average
speed is very low, Hyzon explains.
Higher powered fuel cells from
Hyzon, typically deployed in trucks,
will be used to ensure suitable
performance from hydrogen
coaches, it confirms.
Hydrogen is emerging as a
crucial component of the future
energy landscape, with the heavy
transport and equipment sector
becoming a key target for the
implementation of clean energy
alternatives by the mining industry.
“It is an honour to be entrusted
with this important step in the
decarbonisation journey being
undertaken by a leading global
mining company, and Hyzon
Motors is committed to deploying
not only zero-emission vehicles,
but also the most reliable vehicles
operating in the Pilbara region
of Western Australia,” said Craig
Knight, co-founder of Hyzon
Motors.
Julie Shuttleworth, Fortescue
deputy chief executive officer, said:
“Fortescue’s history of developing
and adopting innovation and
technology has been key to
achieving our industry-leading
cost position and we are applying
this technology-first strategy to
our hydrogen initiatives to ensure
we remain at the forefront of this
emerging industry.
“Fortescue’s mobile fleet
represents around 400 to 450
million litres of diesel consumption
per year and presents a significant
opportunity for hydrogen to be
used as a replacement fuel source
to accelerate emissions reduction
and diversify our energy mix,”
Shuttleworth explained.
WHY MINING?
Heavy transport was identified
as one of the most promising
applications for hydrogen in
Australia’s ‘National Hydrogen
Strategy’, which was commissioned
by the COAG Energy Council in
November 2019, and was also
highlighted as highly impactful by
the Hydrogen for Transport study
commissioned by the Australian
Department of Industry, Innovation
and Science to investigate the
factors in establishing hydrogen
as a ubiquitous fuel in Australia
by 2030.
Pictured:
Hyzon Motors
fuel-cell coaches
will start operating
in the Pilbara
from mid-2021,
it reports.
“It is an honour to be
entrusted with this
important step in
the decarbonisation
journey.”
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ABC September 2020 busnews.com.au