September 25, 2024

Industry News

Fortescue And Liebherr In US $2.8 Billion Green Equipment Partnership

At MINExpo in Las Vegas, Fortescue and Liebherr have announced the signing of a US $2.8 billion green equipment partnership for zero emission mining solutions and have unveiled the jointly developed autonomous battery-electric T 264 truck.

The partnership includes technology that paves the way for carbon-free mining and features a total of 475 zero emission Liebherr machines. This includes approximately 360 autonomous battery-electric trucks, 55 electric excavators and 60 battery-powered dozers. As part of the deal, Liebherr and Fortescue will deploy a complete autonomous battery-electric haulage solution for large scale mining operations. It is the single largest equipment deal in the Liebherr Group’s entire 75-year history. The deal is expected to create one of the world’s largest zero emission mining fleets and represents a major breakthrough in the pursuit of a mining industry no longer reliant on fossil fuels.

A zero-emission battery power system used in the battery-electric trucks has been developed by Fortescue Zero, Fortescue’s technology arm. Fortescue Zero’s battery power system will also be integrated into an electric version of Liebherr’s flagship mining dozer, the PR 776.

“The technology developed as part of this record-breaking deal will not only support our customers along their decarbonisation journeys but also help us honour our commitment to offer completely fossil fuel free hauling, loading and dozing solutions by the end of the decade,” said says Dr Jörg Lukowski, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Liebherr-Mining Equipment SAS. “In fact, in the coming years, Liebherr and Fortescue Zero will be able to offer more customers within the industry a proven, large scale zero emission mining ecosystem.”

“Partnerships with companies and people like Liebherr and Willi Liebherr – where ambition is backed by action – are critical,” said Dr Andrew Forrest, executive chairman of Fortescue. “This is an important next step in our 2030 Real Zero target – to eliminate emissions from our Australian iron ore operations by the end of the decade.”

The T 264 battery-electric truck will commence onsite validation at the end of 2025. The approximately 360-strong T 264 truck fleet has already begun arriving at Fortescue’s Western Australian operations, with the first trucks delivered to Fortescue’s Eliwana mine in October 2023. The initial 240-tonne capacity trucks will be converted to zero emission powertrains before 2030. However, most of the fleet will be supplied in battery-electric configuration from first arrival.

For further information, visit the Fortescue website: www.fortescue.com

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