Perth-headquartered mining giant Fortescue has partnered with Switzerland-based industrial machinery manufacturer, Liebherr, in a $4 billion (USD 2.8 billion) deal to jointly develop battery electric powered mining vehicles, while in a further step toward electrification of their operations, has announced plans to develop a battery-electric locomotive with Australian civil engineering group, Downer.

Fortescue’s partnership with Liebherr includes using a zero emissions battery power system for battery-electric trucks developed by its technology arm, Fortescue Zero.

In the largest deal ever made by either company, a total of 475 zero emission Liebherr machines featuring Fortescue’s green technology and include approximately 360 autonomous battery-electric trucks, 55 electric excavators and 60 battery-powered dozers.

Fortescue Executive Chairman Dr Andrew Forrest said partnerships with companies and people like 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 iron ore operations by the end of the decade. The world needs real zero now – it simply cannot afford to wait,” Forrest said.

“The green solutions we need are here today, and Fortescue Zero is supplying them and rolling them out across our massive mining operations. 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.”

Forrest expressed hope other companies in the mining, heavy industry and haulage sectors will join Fortescue and Liebherr to lead the sector to zero emissions, saying that being persuaded greenwashing is a better return to shareholders is over.

“We can together be the trailblazers who forge the world’s move away from fossil fuels,” Forrest said.

Liebherr Sales and Marketing Executive Vice President Dr Jörg Lukowski said the expanded collaboration with Fortescue is an important step forward in their shared goal to decarbonise mining activities worldwide.

“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,” Lukowski said.

“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.”

Fortescue Zero’s battery power system will be integrated into an electric version of Liebherr’s mining dozer, the PR 776 and they have already jointly developed an autonomous battery-electric version of Liebherr’s T 264 truck, and the delivery of the first of 360 of these to Fortescue’s Western Australian operations has begun.

Fortescue has also developed a stationary fast charging solution to support the autonomous battery-electric truck equipped with robotic connection options, the charger can provide up to 6 MW of power and charge the current battery-electric T 264 in 30 minutes.

Complimenting Fortescue mine-site electrification are plans to jointly develop with Downer, a zero emissions heavy haul battery electric locomotive (BEL).

Downer Chief Executive Officer Peter Tompkins said as Australia’s leading provider of rail and transit systems the company can class itself as a world leader helping rail eliminate emissions.

“With 150 years of rail experience including the ability to design, manufacture and maintain rollingstock, as well as through-life-support, Downer is excited about our role in a zero emissions future,” Tompkins said.

The proposed heavy haul rail solution has the potential to help Fortescue achieve their 2030 decarbonisation goals, as well as other heavy emitters globally.

Fortescue Energy Chief Executive Officer Mark Hutchinson said the agreement marks a significant step in the decarbonisation of heavy industry.

“We look forward to working with Downer to develop and deploy some of the world’s most energy efficient battery electric locomotives,” Hutchinson said.

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