Fortescue has signed a deal worth $2.8bn with equipment manufacturer Liebherr to co-develop and validate a range of zero-emission mining solutions.
The agreement, which includes the supply of around 475 machines, builds on the partnership between the partnership established in June 2022.
In addition, both parties will implement an autonomous battery electric haulage solution for large-scale mining activities.
The metal mining company plans to purchase around 360 autonomous battery-electric trucks, 55 electric excavators, and 60 battery-powered dozers. These represent approximately two-thirds of its existing fleet.
According to Fortescue, its mining fleet consumed nearly 450 million litres of diesel in FY24 and made up 51% of its Scope 1 emissions. The company also said that the phased supply of the equipment began in October 2023, and is slated to be completed by the end of this decade.
Fortescue executive chairman Andrew Forrest said: “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. The world needs Real Zero now – it simply cannot afford to wait.”
Liebherr will deliver autonomous battery-electric T 264 trucks. All trucks will be fitted with a battery-electric power system developed by Fortescue Zero and a jointly developed autonomous haulage solution (AHS).
Besides, the collaboration involves the delivery of 55 R 9400 E electric excavators. This fleet will be a mixture of backhoe and face shovel configurations.
Both parties intend to combine their expertise to jointly develop a zero-emission dozer. Fortescue’s battery power system will be integrated into an electric version of Liebherr’s flagship mining dozer the PR 776, which is presently in development.
Liebherr-Mining Equipment sales and marketing executive vice president Jörg Lukowski said: “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.
“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.”
