Komatsu and ABB are preparing to extend their dynamic energy transfer offering beyond trolley-assist systems, with Lucas van Latum and Nic Beutler confirming at The Electric Mine 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal, that a “side arm” system was being worked on to showcase at the Komatsu-owned Arizona Proving Grounds (AZPG) in the US.
Dynamic energy transfer solutions are already helping mines “decarbonise today” while ABB and Komatsu are “preparing for the future” as one of the conference slides from van Latum and Beutler’s talk, ‘Partnership in practice: Orchestrating the mine grid-to-wheel,’ read.
van Latum, Product Director of Energy Transfer and Software Systems for Komatsu Mining, said during the event: “We all know it’s better to transfer energy while the machine is moving rather than stationary. This [solution] is not going to be appropriate in every single case; we believe you have to have a mix of stationary and dynamic [energy transfer].”
While trolley assist has proven successes, this new dynamic energy transfer system solution is an alternative in cases where traditional catenary systems present challenges.
The side rail system that the companies are jointly working on is likely to be showcased in an installation at AZPG, with pilots expected to take place over the next few years. Broadly speaking, Komatsu will coordinate the mobile equipment side of the project, with ABB providing the fixed infrastructure.
Beutler, Product Manager, Dynamic Energy Transfer, Mining & Materials at ABB, said: “Right now, we are working on a joint system where we are going up to 40 MW within one galvanic section. This allows for substantial trucks to be connected to the galvanic section itself.”
He added: “The focus on this is really the pre-assembled, pre-configured system that is easily deployable on site and makes the uptime, or the deployability, of the system even better.”
The AZPG installation will come on top of a trolley system that includes a curved section and ramp at the site, plus a 6.5 MW stationary charging area that offers a manual and automated megawatt charging system, plus a Quick Charging Connector.
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