en.Wedoany.com Reported - Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. announced that it will launch a technical feasibility test for a hybrid mining truck at a mine in South Africa before October 2027, with plans to promote the technology globally upon successful validation. The test site is the Grootegeluk Coal Mine in Limpopo Province, operated by South African mining group Exxaro Resources. The hybrid truck is based on the existing EH4000AC-3 diesel-electric mining truck, retrofitted with batteries and charge-discharge control equipment, and the AC drive system will be converted to hybrid specifications.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Hitachi Construction Machinery is a leading global manufacturer of construction machinery and will be renamed LANDCROS in April 2027. The company stated that decarbonizing mining trucks is a key priority, with a target to commercialize pure battery-driven mining trucks by April 2028 and achieve practical application of hybrid mining trucks by April 2031. Exxaro Resources is one of South Africa's largest diversified mining companies, with operations spanning coal, iron ore, ilmenite, and energy sectors, ranking 456th on the 2025 Fortune Global 500 list.
According to Hitachi Construction Machinery's estimates, the hybrid power system can reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 10% or more by more efficiently utilizing energy during driving and braking. For a truck operating 20 hours per day and 350 days per year, diesel consumption is expected to decrease from 1.2 million liters annually (emitting 3,000 tons of CO2) to approximately 1 million liters (emitting 2,500 tons of CO2). If hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) is used, CO2 emissions could theoretically be reduced by up to an additional 90%.
The Grootegeluk Coal Mine is a mega-mine, accounting for 20% to 25% of South Africa's coal used for power generation. In fiscal year 2025, the mine delivered 21.4 million tons of coal via conveyor belts to Eskom's Matimba and Medupi power stations, with an annual delivery capacity exceeding 25.1 million tons. The mine covers an area of 6 kilometers by 3 kilometers, and its current fleet consists of 88 diesel-electric trucks, including Hitachi (Euclid) EH3500 and EH4500 models, Hitachi EH4000AC-3, and Komatsu 730E models. Recently, seven Komatsu 830E-5 trucks, three Hitachi EH4000AC-3, and seven XCMG XDE260 trucks were added, bringing the total fleet to over 100 units.
The mine is advancing several sustainability initiatives, including the 68 MW Lephalale Solar Power Plant, which began operations in December 2025. As part of the demonstration test, Hitachi Construction Machinery will provide repair and maintenance training for hybrid mining trucks to service personnel in South Africa and other Southern Hemisphere countries. The hybrid project is being jointly promoted by Hitachi Construction Machinery and Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems (the AC drive system manufacturer).
