Global mining services company Thiess has published its 2025 Sustainability Report, in which it says it continues to refine its pathway to emissions reduction, “acknowledging that commercially viable technologies capable of powering large mining fleet to achieve net zero emissions are still in development.”
It says the broader energy transition is advancing at a slower pace than anticipated, driven by rising global energy demand, delayed deployment of enabling infrastructure and the technical challenge of broad-scale diesel displacement.
The Thiess Group, however, recognises its position in providing mining services for a lower-carbon future, and its responsibility in helping enable the energy transition. “We acknowledge the current constraints associated with the operation of a fully electric or hydrogen powered mining fleet and are focused on supporting our clients with economically viable decarbonisation pathways.”
In 2025, Thiess continued investigations into decarbonisation solutions, however, it sees a gap between industry decarbonisation targets and the likely timeline for viable commercial implementation of lower-emissions mining solutions. Therefore Thiess Group is focusing on interim technologies to bridge this gap. And a key focus area is agnostic hybrid solutions to suit existing diesel and diesel-electric mining equipment.
Thiess: “Agnostic hybrid solutions offer the ability to technology-stack with other market solutions as these become commercially available. The current industry preference to extend the life of assets through zero hour rebuilds offers Thiess an opportunity to install hybrid kits on OEM trucks while completing rebuilds for our business, existing clients and broader markets.”
In 2024, Thiess entered a Memorandum of Understanding with FLANDERS to focus on delivery of diesel-mechanical hybrid retrofits as a current cost-effective emissions reduction solution. In 2025,
Thiess and FLANDERS progressed their mechanical hybrid retrofit initiative, completing key elements of installation planning, risk assessment, compliance reviews and detailed trial design.
Together in 2025, Thiess and FLANDERS developed a trial to test hybrid retrofit technology on a Cat 793D haul truck in New South Wales, Australia. They aim to collaboratively install the hybrid kit in 2026, then to run it for a trial period to validate asset performance and product viability. Pending successful trial outcomes, the team propose to implement the technology on a full production circuit of trucks in Queensland to demonstrate industry benefits.
Pre-trial modelling indicates fuel consumption and emissions should be reduced by approximately 16%, equating to 360 tCO2-e saved per year per 230-tonne class truck. Additionally, the technology should provide an increase in maximum speed and acceleration. Under suitable project conditions this should result in improved cycle times. Thiess: “The aim is to provide this bridging technology to our customers until a full battery-electric solution becomes commercially available.”
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