In 2027, Belarus Will Start Producing Hydrogen Dump Trucks 0 5

At the hydrogen test site in the Moscow region, specialists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) presented their unique engineering breakthrough – a prototype of the domestic hydrogen all-terrain vehicle "Rusak." This machine, with wheel heights already reaching that of an adult, will eventually transform into a giant dump truck, whose size will be ten times larger.

In the Moscow region, the first hydrogen-powered all-terrain vehicle in Russia, named "Rusak," has begun road testing. It stands out as a bright blue spot on the empty gray area of the test site, and upon closer inspection, its colossal size is astonishing: the enormous wheels, the height of a person, make up two-thirds of the entire vehicle, while the rest is a tiny cabin for the crew of the "Rusak."

The machine has already been started, and despite its size, it does not produce monstrous sounds – it is quite an ordinary vehicle. The "Rusak" is surrounded by odorless water vapor – this is how its exhaust gases appear.

"We are at the hydrogen transport test site to test our all-terrain vehicle. This is not a serial product. It has been created to work out technologies for a gas-powered dump truck at a scale of 1 to 10. Essentially, this is an engineering platform to verify the autonomy of these technologies, energy systems, and control systems of the 'Rusak.' We are training on it what we will show on large mining equipment in a year," said Yuri Vasilyev, General Director of the Engineering Center 'Autonomous Energy.'

Hydrogen energy is rapidly developing worldwide. This technology stands out for its environmental cleanliness, as the only byproducts of gas processing are electricity and water.

Hydrogen engines have a significant advantage over electric batteries, as they possess greater energy density. A hydrogen tank is more compact than a battery and allows for transporting more cargo over longer distances. Hydrogen fuel is used in places where high energy density is required. Thus, scientists are attempting to create hydrogen trains, ships, and even have ideas for creating airplanes and space rockets.

This prototype will form the basis of a dump truck for the mining industry, which will be produced by BelAZ. The use of the machine is expected to begin in 2027. The BelAZ-7530 dump truck will be equipped with a power generator based on fuel cells with a total capacity of about 1 MW, battery packs, and a supercapacitor – an electrochemical device consisting of two electrodes and an electrolyte between them, which charges and discharges quickly. The presence of a supercapacitor in the electrical circuit will allow for energy to be stored and not lost, even at high currents, providing power to the dump truck's electrical equipment operating in pulse mode.

"Testing the all-terrain vehicle at this site is particularly valuable for us, as we can practically work out technical solutions that will later be applied in the hydrogen dump truck, as well as test all the infrastructure necessary to supply this machine with fuel. In the future, the transition to hydrogen mining equipment will save up to 1 billion rubles a year on fuel," explains Fedor Kulikovsky, Director of the Project Portfolio in the Mining Industry at 'Rostec Business Development.'

The "Rusak" can travel up to 500 km without refueling at speeds of up to 60 km/h with eight passengers and a load of up to 2.5 tons.

If you approach the machine from the side, you can see the exhaust pipe from which steam is emitted and liquid drips. When asked what it was, Vasilyev simply replied: water, would you like to try? One of the journalists agreed, took a bottle, held it under the pipe, and tried the liquid. "No taste. Just ordinary water, only warm," he commented.