April 1, 2021 - Tech and equipment company ABB and Hitachi Construction Machinery signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop solutions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with heavy machinery in mining.  

In a press release, the companies said they plan to explore the possibilities of applying ABB’s electrification, automation and digital solutions to mining trucks and excavators provided by Hitachi as part of wider efforts with mine operators to electrify all processes from pit to port. 

Hitachi is also expected to share its expertise in driverless operation and labor-saving technologies. 

Electric drive hydraulic excavator.

Image courtesy of Hitachi, ABB

“We are ready to work more with OEMs to establish a common approach for the market and, through strategic collaborations, provide solutions that can help enable a low-carbon society and make mining operations more responsible,” Joachim Braun, ABB’s division president for process industries, said in the media brief. 

“New emissions-reducing technologies can transform the energy-intensive mining industry to achieve an even more productive, but also sustainable future.”

According to Braun, this collaboration with Hitachi is one of many that ABB is looking to develop with OEMs to accelerate the transition to all-electric mines.