KOMATSU MOVES TOWARDS CARBON NEUTRALITY WITH NEW HYDROGEN FUEL CELL DEVELOPMENT

Construction equipment owners in Ireland “may soon have the benefit of carbon-neutral equipment when developments now being pursued by Komatsu move into full-scale series production” – so said Denis McGrath, director at McHale Plant Sales, distributors of Komatsu equipment in Ireland. 

In that context, a new concept aimed at delivering clean, carbon neutrality at the workplace for construction equipment is revealed in a development now being undertaken by Komatsu for medium-sized hydraulic excavators that combines hydrogen fuel cell technology and Komatsu-developed key components to achieve what Komatsu say will be ‘the commercial production of medium and large sized construction equipment powered by hydrogen fuel cells in the near future’.

In its mid-term management plan, Komatsu is targeting a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions from the use of its products and the production of its equipment by 2030 (compared to 2010 levels) with the additional challenge of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.  In addition, through hybrid hydraulic excavators and electric mini excavators. Komatsu is also conducting R&D with the aim of providing products equipped with new power sources.