Fortescue Metals Group has signed a colossal 4.07 billion partnership with Liebherr to jointly develop and deploy zero-emission mining solutions.
This historic deal represents Liebherr’s largest equipment order in its 75-year history and is Fortescue’s single biggest contract ever.
The centrepiece of this agreement is the deployment of 475 zero-emission Liebherr machines featuring Fortescue’s green technology across its operations in Western Australia.
This mammoth fleet will comprise approximately 360 autonomous battery-electric trucks, 55 electric excavators, and 60 battery-powered dozers.
At the heart of this partnership lies a jointly developed autonomous battery-electric haulage solution for large-scale mining operations.
Fortescue Zero, the company’s technology arm, has developed a cutting-edge zero-emission battery power system that will be integrated into these mining vehicles, including Liebherr’s flagship PR 776 electric dozer.
Andrew Forrest, Fortescue’s Executive Chairman, and Willi Liebherr, member of Liebherr-International AG’s administrative board, were present to celebrate this historic deal.
“Partnerships with companies and people like Liebherr and Willi Liebherr – where ambition is backed by action – are critical,” Forrest said.
“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.”
Dr. Jörg Lukowski, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Liebherr-Mining Equipment SAS, expressed pride in facilitating this record-breaking deal.
“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,” Jörg Lukowski said.
‘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.’
Both companies have confirmed that through their continued cooperation, customers worldwide will be able to access this comprehensive and large-scale zero-emission mining ecosystem in the coming years.
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