WAE and Fortescue to develop electric mining haul truck

The project will involve the design and construction of a bespoke battery electric powertrain, with the ability to regenerate power as the truck travels downhill. After being built at WAE’s facility in Grove, Oxfordshire, the battery will be shipped to Perth, Australia for integration into a 240-tonne prototype haul truck for performance testing at Fortescue’s mining operations in the Pilbara, West Australia.

To support the implementation of a battery-electric haulage fleet, the partnership will also involve the development of a fast charging unit which will harness renewable energy from Fortescue’s Pilbara Energy Connect Network.

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Fortescue CEO Elizabeth Gaines said: “Climate change is one of the most pressing issues facing the planet and Fortescue is committed to tackling this challenge head-on through our industry-leading target to achieve net zero operational emissions by 2040.

“This includes a 26 per cent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions from existing operations from 2020 levels by 2030. With around a quarter of these emissions attributed to our mobile haul fleet, this represents a significant opportunity to drive our pathway to being diesel-free.”