Mining and the net zero challenge
Mining provides the fundamental raw minerals that drive the modern world. Copper, lithium, iron ore, cobalt: the transition to clean energy depends on mining more of them, not less. Yet the sector itself is a significant emissions contributor. McKinsey estimates mining's power consumption contributes approximately 0.4 gigatons of CO₂e annually.
The energy intensity of mining is structural. Extraction, comminution, processing, and transport are all energy-hungry. Many operations are remote, without grid access. Many processes require high-grade heat or pressure that cannot be easily electrified. For these applications, green hydrogen is not an alternative to electrification. It is the only credible option.
Three use cases, one platform
The Zero Mining research programme, conducted with OZ Minerals through BHP's Think and Act Differently accelerator, explored three distinct applications for Supercritical's high-pressure hydrogen across the mining value chain.
A copper concentrate roaster at an OZ Minerals facility generates significant waste heat. Feeding this thermal energy into the electrolyser system reduced total renewable energy demand by 25%, substantially improving the economics of on-site hydrogen production.
Heavy mining trucks are among the largest diesel consumers in the sector. High-pressure hydrogen for fuel cell trucks, delivered direct from a Supercritical electrolyser, reduced compression energy by 10 times compared with 10 bar electrolysers, and collapsed compression from a minimum of three stages to a single stage. The result: simpler, cheaper, more reliable fuelling infrastructure.
Green hydrogen as a feedstock for copper sulphate reduction delivered 12,129 tonnes of CO₂ reduction annually, replacing natural gas in a 2,000-tonnes-per-annum hydrogen application. No process redesign required.
Delivering hydrogen at 350 bar from a single compression stage, versus three or more stages from a conventional low-pressure electrolyser, reduces capital cost, maintenance burden, and operational complexity at every fuelling point across a mine site.
The economics in context
The levelised cost of hydrogen in South Australia can be as low as AUD 4.99 per kilogram using Supercritical's technology. That figure reflects the combination of high electrolyser efficiency, waste heat utilisation, and the elimination of downstream compression. For remote mining operations where diesel logistics are costly and carbon liabilities are growing, the business case is increasingly compelling.
Applications across the mining value chain
The four main application areas explored in the Zero Mining programme:
Green hydrogen as a zero-emission energy store for remote mine sites, replacing diesel generators and enabling higher penetration of renewable generation.
Green ammonia as a replacement for ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO) in blasting applications, removing fossil fuel dependency from the extraction process itself.
High-pressure hydrogen for fuel cell mining trucks, haul trucks, and ancillary vehicles across the site.
Green hydrogen as a chemical reducing agent and heat source for mineral processing, replacing natural gas in applications including copper sulphate reduction and roasting.
Beyond OZ Minerals
The Zero Mining programme with OZ Minerals established the technical and economic viability of high-pressure green hydrogen across the mining value chain. AngloAmerican has separately tested a hydrogen-powered mining truck (the NuGen programme), demonstrating industry-wide momentum towards hydrogen in heavy mining applications.
The opportunity is not confined to one company or one mineral. Any mine with significant energy consumption, access to renewable resources, and pressure-based hydrogen demand is a candidate for Supercritical's technology.
If you operate in the mining sector and want to understand the hydrogen opportunity at your site, we want to hear from you.