Not since Australia II shocked the sailing world with its ground-breaking keel has an Aussie invention grabbed the imagination of an industry on a global scale.
But now major players in the mining sector are clambering over each other to get a part of the new hybrid truck that has been doing circuits and its share of hard yakka around New Acland mine near Oakey on the Darling Downs for the past two years.
The mine was the place of choice to conduct the trail of the latest innovative technology in dual fuel trucks by project partners Mine Energy Solutions (MES) and Hastings Deering.
General Manager of New Acland mine, David Vink says the project was a great example of industry collaboration.
“We provided the trial site and wherewithal, MES the technology and Hastings Deering the hardware – so to speak (truck and engines).”
He explains the revolutionary technology enables the conversion of high horse powered diesel engines from 100 per cent diesel to dual fuel operation, using natural gas as the dominant fuel through sequential gas injection.
“When MES first looked for project partners in Queensland there was no one interested,” David said.
“But we could see the potential for this technology from the outset.
“Now, after nearly 24 months operating on site, clocking more than 6,200 hours, we’ve piqued the interest of the big boys and the sceptics.
“We’ve taken the technology from an R&D project to ready for commercial application. Actually beyond that – it has already been taken up commercially which has signalled the end of the trial.”
David said the trial was originally planned to run for just six months in 2016 but, off the back of data collected as the trial progressed, the technology itself evolved even further.
“The trial is complete, MES’s technology has been proven and we are pleased to be part of this exciting project that is now going global,” David said.