Fortescue confirmed off its the primary of its future electrical 240-tonne Liebherr Mining T 264 vans this week, however with one key omissions: The truck’s big battery continues to be three years away the brand new hauler is powered by a diesel engine.
The T 264 fleet will begin being transformed to electrical from 2026, a Fortescue spokesperson advised TheDriven.
“The supply of our first T 264 truck from Liebherr marks an necessary step in our decarbonisation journey,” they mentioned.
“Whereas initially powered by a diesel engine, the fleet will likely be transformed to our in-house battery resolution being developed by Fortescue WAE.
“The primary battery electrical manufacturing vans will likely be arriving at our Pilbara operations in 2026.”
A number of the first 120 vans will likely be fitted with batteries in Perth, and a few in Virginia.
The batteries themselves will likely be made within the Williams Superior Engineering (WAE) amenities within the UK, however Fortescue obtained the primary 1.4-MWh prototype battery in January in Perth.
The unit is product of eight sub packs which every containing 36 battery modules. The entire thing measures 3.6 x 1.6 x 2.4 m.
Fortescue Future Industries purchased WAE, the offshoot of the Method 1 specialists Williams Grand Prix Engineering, for $A310 million in January 2022.
The corporate has already began trialling electrical 260 tonne haul vans within the Pilbara and WAE is constructing a 3MW charging station.
A hydrogen gas cell haul truck can be being trialled at considered one of its mine websites, and this month it took supply of a Liebherr electrical excavator.
In a presentation to traders and analysts earlier this month, Fortescue says WAE is engaged on a prototype for exchangeable batteries, with eight sub-packs per heavy haul car, and it’s trialling off-grid hydrogen gas cell programs.
Final yr the corporate additionally unveiled a $50 million plan to develop a regenerating battery electrical iron ore practice venture – dubbed the Infinity Prepare – in partnership with WAE. The concept is to construct a locomotive with big batteries that may regenerate on the downhill run from the Pilbara to the coast with sufficient energy to make it again to the mine web site.
In July this yr a spokesperson for the corporate advised TheDriven that the venture continues to be within the research section.
Despite that, Fortescue nonetheless expects to begin utilizing two electrical locomotives after they arrive in 2024.
Fortescue estimates it emits greater than 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 equal every year from its mining operations, together with delivery and tug boat operations.
Rachel Williamson is a science and enterprise journalist, who focuses on local weather change-related well being and environmental points.