Canadian mining company Teck Resources has signed an agreement with mining equipment manufacturer Caterpillar to deploy zero-emission large haul trucks at its mining operations.
The deal will see Teck and Caterpillar undertake a multi-phased approach that will involve early development, piloting and deployment of Caterpillar zero-emission vehicles.
The Canadian mining firm initially plans to deploy 30 vehicles, which will include Cat 794 ultra-class zero-emission trucks, starting from 2027.
It plans to use the trucks at its Elk Valley steelmaking coal operations in British Columbia.
The agreement forms part of Teck’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, as decarbonising its vehicle fleet will significantly reduce Scope 1 emissions.
Teck aims to reduce carbon intensity at its operations by 33% by 2030 and become a carbon-neutral operator by 2050.
Teck president and CEO Don Lindsay said: “Teck is already one of the world’s lowest carbon intensity producers of copper, zinc and steelmaking coal, and now we are taking further action to develop and implement the technology needed to reduce the carbon footprint of our operations and support global efforts to combat climate change.
“Decarbonising our haul truck fleet is a critical step forward on our road to carbon neutrality and we are pleased to collaborate with Caterpillar to advance this work.”
Teck said its Elk Valley steelmaking coal operations are currently powered by a 95% clean electricity grid.
This makes it an ideal location to introduce the zero-emission trucks.
Caterpillar Group president Denise Johnson said: “We look forward to working with Teck to support their climate goals and developing solutions to increase operational efficiency while substantially reducing emissions.”
Last November, US-based gold producer Newmont Mining partnered with Caterpillar for the delivery of a zero-emission mining system.
