Fortescue and Liebherr Mining have announced a partnership to jointly develop and validate a fully integrated Autonomous Haulage Solution (AHS), which the iron ore miner aims to be the first AHS operating zero emissions vehicles globally.   

The solution brings Fortescue one step closer to delivering zero emissions autonomous haul trucks to its iron ore operations in the Pilbara, Western Australia as part of Fortescue’s target to achieve real zero terrestrial emissions (Scope 1 and 2) across its Australian iron ore operations by 2030.  

The new AHS, which is being developed, tested and validated in partnership with Liebherr at Fortescue’s iron ore operations, integrates a Fleet Management System (FMS), onboard autonomy kit for the T 264 truck, and a High Precision Machine Guidance system for loading equipment. 

The FMS is designed to optimise fleet utilisation and maximise productivity, while ensuring efficient consumption of fuel and energy, helping to reduce carbon emissions. 

The project began last month at Fortescue’s Christmas Creek mine in Western Australia, where four Liebherr T 264 trucks are being converted to autonomous electric models. The companies are also testing electric excavators at the site. The upgrade is expected to cut pollution and enhance safety for workers and nearby communities.

Fortescue Metals Chief Executive Officer, Dino Otranto said: “Our deep expertise in autonomous haulage, that has come from operating over 200 diesel autonomous haul trucks across our mine sites, has enabled Fortescue and Liebherr to develop a Fleet Management System that uniquely targets efficiency and unlocks untapped capacity in our fleet.  

“The partnership with Liebherr has enabled us to jointly develop the Fleet Management Systems, which provide us with an OEM agnostic solution that can be integrated with any autonomous platform including trucks, drills, watercarts or any other heavy mining equipment. This critical technology puts our business in full control of our development priorities and roadmap.” 

The AHS enables control and coordination of mixed fleets of autonomous vehicles, including selected autonomous ultra-class mining trucks, autonomous road trains and autonomous light vehicles.  

Oliver Weiss, EVP R&D, Engineering, and Production, Liebherr Mining said: “Liebherr has always prioritised market-led product development and we are privileged to be partnering with Fortescue to collectively develop and deploy this Autonomous Haulage Solution. Our collaborative efforts will be beneficial, not only for Fortescue, but for the entire mining industry.” 

The partnership, which started in 2022, aims to build a zero-emission haulage solution. The new system will include an integrated fleet management system and machine guidance, allowing it to operate without human intervention.

Once the technology is finalized, it will be introduced at all Fortescue mines and made available to Liebherr’s global customers.

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Source:

Mining.com

Fortescue