Ma’aden to use Saudi Arabia’s 1st hydrogen-powered trucks

Ma’aden to use Saudi Arabia’s 1st hydrogen-powered trucks
Ma’aden CEO Robert Wilt made the announcment during the opening of the Arab International Aluminum Conference. Supplied.
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Updated 22 November 2023
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Ma’aden to use Saudi Arabia’s 1st hydrogen-powered trucks

Ma’aden to use Saudi Arabia’s 1st hydrogen-powered trucks

RIYADH: Excavation giant Saudi Arabian Mining Co. has signed a deal to use the Kingdom’s first hydrogen-powered trucks for its logistic operations.

The firm, also known as Ma’aden, has reached an agreement with Dammam-based Almajdouie Logistics Co. to deploy the heavy goods vehicles, according to a press release.

Ma’aden CEO Robert Wilt made the announcement at the opening of the Arab International Aluminum Conference in the presence of Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid Al-Mudaifer.

The vehicle was unveiled by the Saudi Transport General Authority in collaboration with Almajduoie Logistics.

The truck runs on hydrogen fuel, with a capacity of 35 kilograms and a gas pressure of up to 350 bar.

It is designed and equipped to transport goods in accordance with safety conditions, TGA said, noting that it covers long distances exceeding 400 km.

Ma’aden will use the hydrogen-powered vehicle to transport aluminum products from Jubail and Ras Al-Khair.

The company is the largest multicommodity mining and metals company in the Middle East, with revenues of SR40.3 billion ($10.7 billion) in 2022.

“The hydrogen truck has zero carbon emissions and aligns with the Kingdom’s initiatives for sustainable development. It is specifically designed and prepared to transport goods safely and cover long distances exceeding 400 km,” TGA said in the release.

The initiative aims to build an ecosystem for hydrogen-powered vehicles within Saudi Arabia, offer integrated solutions to interested parties, and enhance hydrogen transportation within the Kingdom.

According to the release, the agreement between Almajdouie and TGA is part of a larger feasibility study that aims to operate in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to reduce carbon emissions by 25 percent by 2030.

The partnership entails the design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of hydrogen-related infrastructure, including hydrogen refueling stations across various locations in the Kingdom.