Thiess has joined forces with Mine Energy Solutions to bring lower emission, dual-fuel technology to its mining fleet, the first for a mining services provider in the industry.
The agreement is a phased introduction which will see the use of locally sourced gas to displace diesel in large mining trucks using MES’s currently available and proven technology.
Thiess CEO Douglas Thompson said: “Partnerships like this ensure Thiess is playing a role in reducing emissions on our operations and leading the path to decarbonisation of the industry.”
MES’ CEO Adrian Abbott said: “We’re proud to partner with Thiess and apply this technology in the Bowen Basin. Our focus is to use locally sourced gas through the capture and use of fugitive methane contained in the coal resource to enable the average mine site to reduce their greenhouse gas footprint by more than 550,000 tonnes of CO2-e per annum.”
The partnership will commence with the conversion of a fleet of six mining trucks and seek to source gas on site which will allow the removal of the equivalent B Double diesel deliveries from local highways, reducing congestion and making it safer for regional families. Longer term, Thiess and MES will seek to expand to full fleet conversion before exploring further opportunities both within Australia and Internationally.