During an event at this year's MINExpo in Las Vegas, USA, Liebherr and Australian iron-ore miner, Fortescue, announced an expansion of their partnership and unveiled a jointly developed autonomous battery-electric T 264 truck. Dr Andrew Forrest and Dr Willi Liebherr attended the event to seal the historic deal.
The two companies plan to further develop and validate a range of zero emission mining solutions, which will result in the supply of 475 new Liebherr machines (approximately 360 autonomous battery-electric trucks, 55 electric excavators and 60 battery-powered dozers) featuring Fortescue's 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.
Both companies have confirmed that, through their continued cooperation, customers will be able to access this ecosystem for their own operations in the coming years. Willi Liebherr said that the deal is the largest in the Liebherr Group's 75-year history.
Dr Jörg Lukowski, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Liebherr-Mining Equipment SAS, said: "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 decarbonize mining activities worldwide. The technology developed as part of this record-breaking deal will not only support our customers along their decarbonization journeys but also help us honor 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."
Dr Forrest added: "Partnerships with companies and people like Liebherr and Willi 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. 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.'
Liebherr and Fortescue have been working in partnership since 2022; their initial cooperation covered the supply of 120 zero emission haul trucks. The new expanded fleet announced on 25 September 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.
The AHS, which was co-developed using both companies' expertise, also includes an Energy Management System that coordinates the static recharge assignments for the trucks and ensures the charger is fully utilized without causing queuing on site.
"We wanted to design and build an intelligent, state-of-the-art AHS that not only includes the know-how from both an OEM and a mining operator generated over the last few years but will also be able to integrate with new zero emission solutions in the future," said Oliver Weiss, executive vice president, R&D, engineering and production, Liebherr-Mining Equipment SAS. "Therefore, control and command of zero emission mining technologies were included in the AHS from the outset. The fleet management assignment engine at the core of the AHS monitors fleet energy levels so that jobs and energy replenishment tasks can be assigned efficiently within zero emission fleets equipped with this system."
Fortescue has 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.
"We have an enormous amount of expertise in autonomous haulage and have used that expertise to play a leading role in the development of this system," explained Dino Otranto, chief executive officer, Fortescue Metals. "We have more than 200 autonomous trucks across our mine sites, travelling the equivalent of two trips to the moon and back each month. It is imperative that they operate efficiently and at maximum capacity. We have used our strong track record of being a first mover in autonomy and our technological know-how to derisk zero emission fleets to enable the industry to break free from the pilots and prototypes. The fully integrated AHS will be a game changer for us in reducing our carbon emissions."
The T 264 battery-electric truck will commence onsite validation at the end of 2025. The approximately 360-strong T 264 truck fleet has already begun arriving to Fortescue's Western Australian operations, with the first trucks delivered to Fortescue's Eliwana mine in October 2023. The initial 240-tonne capacity trucks will be converted to zero emission powertrains before 2030. However, most of the fleet will be supplied in battery-electric configuration from first arrival.
Four autonomous trucks are currently in validation at Fortescue's testing site, with the first deployment of operational autonomous trucks expected in Q1 2025. All T 264 trucks are arriving autonomy-ready and will be progressively deployed to autonomous operations across Fortescue's sites.
Validation of the full autonomous battery-electric solution is expected to be complete in early 2026.
The companies also announced that they will collaborate to jointly develop a zero-emission dozer. Fortescue's battery power system will be integrated into an electric version of the Liebherr's flagship mining dozer, the PR 776, which is currently in development. Once developed, Liebherr will supply Fortescue with 60 units of this zero-emission dozing solution to meet Fortescue's Real Zero targets.
This historic deal also includes the supply of 55 R 9400 E electric excavators. This fleet will be a mix of backhoe and face shovel configurations. Fortescue first adopted Liebherr's electric excavator technology in 2023, with the commissioning of Australia's first operational electric excavator in December of that year. Three R 9400 E excavators are already operational across Fortescue's sites.
Fortescue is also boosting its capacity to supply the hundreds of batteries required for these machines - both trucks and dozers.
"The T 264 battery-electric truck, powered by a Fortescue Zero battery power system, will be one of the first zero emission solutions for mine haulage in operation globally,' Mr. Otranto said. "It combines Fortescue Zero's heritage of innovation, delivering a battery power system designed for best-in-class range and durability in all mining environments, with Liebherr's proven haul truck excellence. The zero-emission battery power system developed by Fortescue Zero also reflects Fortescue's continued evolution into a leading technology company that is selling its innovative solutions to the world."
All 475 machines of this deal will become part of Fortescue's iron ore hub in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. As such, Liebherr-Australia - Liebherr's sales and service company in the country - has already begun its preparations for supporting this enormous fleet.