Australia's Fortescue Metals Group — the world's fourth-largest iron ore producer — unveiled a battery-electric haul truck in 2023 that operates on 100% electric power, carries 240 tonnes of ore per load, and is charged by renewable electricity from Fortescue's own solar and wind installations at its Pilbara mining operations, making it the first iron ore mining truck in history whose energy cost is effectively zero beyond the capital charge of the renewable generation.
The Fortescue WAE electric haul truck — developed in partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering, the racing technology spinoff that engineered the first Formula E cars — uses a 1.4-megawatt-hour battery pack, regenerates energy on the loaded downhill haul from pit floor to surface, and recharges in under 30 minutes from a 4-megawatt depot charging unit during shift change periods. Its operational performance in the Pilbara's 50°C summer heat exceeded pre-deployment projections: the electric drivetrain's efficiency advantage over diesel is actually greater in extreme heat because diesel engine efficiency declines at high ambient temperatures while electric motor efficiency remains constant.
Fortescue's iron ore operations consume approximately 700 million litres of diesel annually — the single largest diesel cost in Australia's mining sector. Replacing that diesel with renewable electricity generated at Fortescue's own solar and wind installations eliminates not just the carbon emissions but the fuel cost entirely, saving approximately $700 million annually at current diesel prices.
Fortescue has committed to eliminating all fossil fuel use from its operations by 2030 — the most aggressive decarbonisation commitment by volume in global mining history.
Source: Fortescue Metals Group / Williams Advanced Engineering, 2023
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten