Fortescue’s hydrogen-powered haul truck prototype, dubbed ‘Europa’ has reached the significant milestone of having operated off hydrogen for the first time. This development marks a major step in Fortescue’s mission to decarbonise heavy industry as well as the company’s partnership with Liebherr Mining. Both companies are present at The Electric Mine 2024 this week at Crown Perth with large delegations and the progress being made with this zero emissions truck program was a subject of discussion.
Delivered in collaboration with Liebherr, Europa is a T 264 Liebherr haul truck and contains a 1.6 MWh battery (developed in-house by Fortescue WAE) and 500 kW of fuel cells. The prototype can store over 380 kg of liquid hydrogen. Fortescue Metals Chief Executive Officer, Dino Otranto said: “Following the success of our battery electric haul truck prototype at site, we’re thrilled to now have Europa up and running on hydrogen. This is a huge achievement for the team and brings us another step closer to having a fleet of zero emissions trucks at our sites by the end of this decade.”
He adds: “We’re aiming to transport Europa to our mining operations within the coming weeks where it will undergo further site-based testing and commissioning. The subsequent test results will inform our future fleet of zero emissions trucks that we’re delivering with Liebherr.” It is going initially to the Christmas Creek iron ore mine, where it will transition from a gaseous hydrogen system to a liquid hydrogen system.
Joerg Lukowski, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Liebherr Mining said: “With Europa soon moving to site, Liebherr and Fortescue have taken an important step closer to their common target of developing and building zero emission solutions for the mining industry that are both field proven and energy agnostic. This success demonstrates the incredible capabilities of two Tier 1 companies working together to develop viable technologies today that can help the mining industry move towards a decarbonised future.”
In June 2022, Fortescue and Liebherr established a partnership for the development and supply of zero emissions mining haul trucks. Fortescue anticipates that the final fleet will also comprise a large number of support Heavy Mobile Equipment from a range of suppliers with the vast majority having a Fortescue WAE power system.
Fortescue has already started to take delivery of the first T 264 diesel electric trucks which will be converted to zero emissions technology before the end of the decade.
