WAE delivered to Fortescue Metals Group a haul truck battery that weighs 15 mt and is 3.6 m long, 1.6 m wide and 2.4 m high. (Photo: Fortescue Metals Group)
Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) reported WAE Technologies delivered a 1.4-megawatt-hour prototype power system, the largest battery of its kind, for installation in a prototype zero-emission battery-electric 240-mt Liebherr haul truck. The battery weighs 15 mt and is 3.6 m long, 1.6 m wide and 2.4 m high. It is made up of eight sub-packs, each with 36 modules, all individually cooled, and each with its own battery management system.
Leadership at the miner said the development, one step in a $6.2 billion decarbonization strategy, shows it is working to decarbonize faster and more effectively than any other major industrial company in the world. “The battery system, designed for our zero-emission battery electric mining haul trucks, is an important part of our strategy to reach real zero terrestrial emissions across our iron operations by 2030,” said CEO Mark Hutchinson.
WAE said the system is the first of many technologies that can help enable Fortescue to realize its 2030 net-zero goals. “This high-performance power system not only boasts the highest energy storage of its kind, but will also be the first to offer 30-min fast charging,” CEO Craig Wilson said. “Powered solely by renewable energy, it will help prevent enormous amounts of fossil fuel from being used, with the goal to not compromise the vehicle’s load capacity.”
