Abstract
<jats:p>Cutting carbon footprint of the mining industry on the Kola Peninsula requires a radical rethinking of the energy supply for open-cut transport. Conventional diesel engines of the mining dump trucks generate up to 70–80% of the total greenhouse gas emissions of mining companies in the region, which amounts to approximately 280–320 thousand tons of the CO2 equivalent annually. Hydrogen fuel cells used in hybrid power plants are a technologically viable alternative to traditional diesel engines and ensure operational parameters with zero direct emissions. The aim of the study is to assess the technical and economic feasibility of introducing hydrogen fuel cells on mining dump trucks in the Kola Peninsula with account of the region's climate, infrastructure, and production factors. The study included a comparative analysis of the energy efficiency of hybrid hydrogenbattery power plants vs. their diesel counterparts; modeling of the operating modes for typical in-pit transportation cycles, as well as calculations of the environmental and economic effects of decarbonating the mine fleets. The results show that a 2 MW hybrid hydrogen-battery power plant provides 81–88% higher transmission efficiency when compared to a diesel-electric drive with an identical load capacity of 290–320 tons. Transition of one 290-tonne mining dump truck to hydrogen fuel cells eliminates 2,700–2,920 tonnes of CO2 2-equivalent per year, which is equal to decommissioning of 650–700 passenger cars. Economic efficiency is achieved at the cost of green hydrogen of $5.79–6.85/kg with account of a 35–40% reduction in the maintenance costs as compared to the diesel-powered units. The specific Arctic conditions of the Kola Peninsula require adaptation of the fuel cell thermostatting systems to ensure their operability at the temperatures as low as –40°C as well as development of a distributed infrastructure for hydrogen production and storage based on renewable energy sources. Introduction of the hydrogen technologies in open-cut transport on the Kola Peninsula creates a synergistic effect of cutting the carbon footpring of the mining industry, of reducing local pollutant emissions, and of forming a regional hydrogen cluster with the potential to export technological solutions.</jats:p>