During this year’s MINExpo in Las Vegas, USA, Liebherr and Fortescue announced a significant expansion of their partnership and unveiled the jointly developed autonomous battery-electric T 264 truck. This historic deal for the development and supply of zero emission equipment was announced by Dr Willi Liebherr, Member of the administrative board of Liebherr-International AG, and Dr Andrew Forrest, Executive Chairman of Fortescue.
Together, the two companies will develop and validate a range of zero emission mining solutions, which will result in the supply of 475 new Liebherr machines featuring Fortescue’s innovative green technology to Fortescue’s operations in Western Australia. This represents about two thirds of the current mining fleet at Fortescue’s operations. Liebherr and Fortescue are committed to having a comprehensive and large scale zero emission mining ecosystem operational by 2030.
The agreement between Liebherr and Fortescue will help deliver the decarbonisation targets of both companies. Once the pioneering zero emission technologies developed within the partnership enter series production, they will become available for mining companies all over the world.
The total value of the partnership, comprising the supply of machines by Liebherr and the battery power system from Fortescue Zero, is up to US$2.8 billion. This represents the single largest equipment deal in the highly successful manufacturing and technology company Liebherr’s 75-year history, and is Fortescue’s single largest ever contract.
‘We are proud to have facilitated the single largest equipment deal in the entire 75-year history of the Liebherr Group. Especially as the expansion of our collaboration with Fortescue is an important step forward in our shared goal to decarbonise mining activities worldwide,’ said Dr Jörg Lukowski, Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Liebherr-Mining Equipment SAS. ‘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.’
‘Partnerships with companies like Liebherr – where ambition is backed by action – are critical,’ Dr Andrew Forrest added. ‘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. 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. We invite all companies in the mining, heavy industry, and haulage sectors to join us. The solutions are there, and the missing ingredient is leadership. The time of others persuading you that greenwashing is a better return to shareholders and your community is over. Fortescue invites you to join us. We can together be the trailblazers who forge the world’s move away from fossil fuels.’
Of the 475 machines that make up this deal, about 360 will be autonomous battery-electric T 264 trucks, containing a battery electric power system developed by Fortescue Zero. This is triple the 120 trucks that were announced as part of the initial partnership between Liebherr and Fortescue in 2022. Fortescue considers this to be the optimal path for the replacement of critical diesel heavy mobile equipment to meet its 2030 decarbonisation targets. All of the trucks in this fleet will ultimately be equipped with a zero-emission battery power system developed by Fortescue Zero and the jointly developed Autonomous Haulage Solution (AHS) – both of which were built to be scalable so they can be retrofitted onto existing Liebherr haul trucks. This means that trucks purchased today are already futureproofed for tomorrow.
To learn more about the future of zero-emissions off-highway vehicles, hear keynote speeches about the latest innovations in the field, and visit a wide array of exhibitors, book your tickets to the DZOM EXPO, taking place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Centre in Chicago, IL, on December 3–4, 2024.
For more information, visit our website or email us at info@innovatrix.eu for the event agenda.
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