Fortescue has this week announced a significant expansion of its partnership with German based global equipment manufacturer Liebherr, to jointly develop and validate a range of zero emission mining solutions.
Fortescue said in a report to shareholders and the ASX that the proposal builds on a partnership established in June 2022 and also increases the total number of machines to be supplied by Liebherr to approximately 475.
Fortescue said that the equipment will be powered by a battery power system developed by Fortescue Zero and that Liebherr and Fortescue will also deploy an autonomous battery electric haulage solution for large scale mining operations.
While these aren’t on road trucks per se, T&B News felt it appropriate to report this enormous leap forward for zero emission and automated transport machines.
Fortescue said that the partnership 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’.
The company said that it demonstrates tangible progress towards transitioning its diesel mining fleet to a zero emission fleet, aligned with its target to achieve ‘Real Zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions across its Australian terrestrial iron ore operations by 2030’.
The new proposal increases the mining fleet to be supplied by Liebherr from 120 haul trucks to approximately 475 zero emission trucks. Fortescue says it is anticipated to purchase approximately 360 autonomous battery electric trucks, 55 electric excavators and 60 battery powered dozers.
This represents about two thirds of the current mining fleet at Fortescue’s operations. Fortescue’s mining fleet consumed approximately 450 million litres of diesel in FY24 and accounted for 51 per cent of its Scope 1 emissions.
The company said the phased supply of the equipment commenced in October 2023 and it is planned to be complete by 2030.
It said that the delivery of the fleet is aligned with its fleet replacement cycle and sustaining capital expenditure and decarbonisation capital expenditure forecast. The company said that the total value of the partnership, comprising the supply of machines by Liebherr and the battery power system from Fortescue Zero, is up to $AUD4.09 billion (US$2.8 billion).
Fortescue claims this is the single largest equipment deal in the 75 year history of Liebherr, which is Europe’s highly successful manufacturing and technology company 75 year history and is Fortescue’s single largest ever contract in its history.
Fortescue executive chairman, Dr Andrew Forrest said that partnerships with companies and people like Liebherr and Willi Liebherr, where ambition is backed by action, are critical.
“This is an important next step in our 2030 Real Zero target – to eliminate emissions from our Australian terrestrial iron ore operations by the end of the decade,” said Forrest.
“The world needs Real Zero now, it simply cannot afford to wait and the green solutions we need are here today, and Fortescue Zero is supplying them and rolling them out across our massive mining operations,” he said.
Fortescue Metals Chief Executive Officer, Dino Otranto said that Fortescue Zero developed this battery technology and jointly developed the Automated Haulage Solution, leading the way to provide green innovative solutions to eliminate emissions from heavy industry.
“We invite all companies in the mining, heavy industry and haulage sectors to join us, the solutions are there, and the missing ingredient is leadership,” Otranto said.
“The time of others persuading you that greenwashing is a better return to shareholders and your community is over. Fortescue invites you to join us. We can together be the trailblazers who forge the world’s move away from fossil fuels,” he said.
“‘The T 264 battery electric truck, powered by a Fortescue Zero battery power system, will be one of the first zero emission solutions for mine haulage in operation globally,” he added.
“It combines Fortescue Zero’s heritage of innovation, delivering a battery power system designed for best-in-class range and durability in all mining
environments, with Liebherr’s proven haul truck excellence, the zero emission battery power system developed by Fortescue Zero also reflects Fortescue’s continued evolution into a leading technology company that is selling its innovative solutions to the world.
“We have an enormous amount of expertise in autonomous haulage and have used that expertise to play a leading role in the development of this system. We have more than 200 autonomous trucks across our mine sites, travelling the equivalent of two trips to the moon and back each month,” Otranto added.
Fortescue said that it is imperative that they operate efficiently and at maximum capacity. and that it has used its strong track record of being a first mover in autonomy and our technological know-how to de-risk zero emission fleets to enable the industry to break free from the pilots and prototypes.
“The fully integrated Autonomous Haulage Solution will be a game changer for us in reducing our carbon emissions,” Otranto said.
The statement said that autonomous battery electric T 264 Liebherr will supply approximately 360 T 264 trucks, which builds on the 120 T 264 trucks that were announced as part of the initial partnership between Liebherr and Fortescue in June 2022.
The first trucks were delivered to Fortescue’s Western Australian operations in October 2023, and a portion of the initial trucks will be converted to zero emission power trains before 2030. The battery electric T 264 will commence onsite validation at the end of 2025.
All of the trucks will ultimately be equipped with a zero emission battery power system developed by Fortescue Zero and the jointly developed Autonomous Haulage Solution (AHS) – both of which were built to be scalable so they can be retrofitted onto existing Liebherr haul trucks. This means that trucks purchased today are already future proofed for tomorrow.
The AHS, which was co-developed using both companies’ expertise, also includes an Energy Management System that coordinates the static recharge assignments for the trucks and ensures the charger is fully utilised without causing queuing on site. Four autonomous trucks are currently in validation at Fortescue’s testing site, with the first deployment of operational autonomous trucks expected in Q1 2025. All T 264 trucks are arriving autonomy-ready and will be progressively deployed to autonomous operations across Fortescue’s sites.
Fortescue has developed the stationary fast charging solution to support the autonomous battery electric truck. Equipped with robotic connection options, the charger can provide up to six megawatt of power and charge the current battery electric T 264 in 30 minutes.
Liebherr and Fortescue will combine their considerable expertise to jointly develop a zero emission dozer. Fortescue’s battery power system will be integrated into an electric version of the Liebherr’s flagship mining dozer, the PR 776, which is currently in development. Once developed, Liebherr will supply Fortescue with 60 dozers.
The partnership also includes the supply of 55 R 9400 E electric excavators. This fleet will be a mix of backhoe and face shovel configurations. Fortescue first adopted Liebherr’s electric excavator technology in 2023, with the commissioning of Australia’s first operational electric excavator in December of that year. Three R 9400 E excavators are already operational across Fortescue’s sites.
