Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) says it has developed an in-house haul truck to test battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell technology, with a view to decarbonising transport emissions as part of all its overall efforts to reach zero emissions.
At the company’s investor and media day, it revealed its 240 tonne prototype has already been used for a phase 1 to test battery electric technology, and that a phase 2 would see it test fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) technology.
The two-phase project would “offer a step-change opportunity to reduce our emissions”, Fortescue chief operations officer Greg Lilleyman said at the event.
According to the company’s presentation, truck haulage currently accounts for some 26% of the company’s Scope 1 (that is, produced by its own operations) and Scope 2 (produced by third parties) emissions.
Fortescue plans to reach zero net emissions for its own operations by 2040, or before. This will include three new big solar farms in the Pilbara to help power its mining operations and at least one big battery and also a possible wind farm.
A transition to battery electric or fuel cell transport (as long as the hydrogen is “green”) will mean the company can work further towards achieving its goal to “stampede” into the green energy sector.
It recently announced it would dive head-on into the green hydrogen sector with a plan to build, or facilitate, a massive 235 gigawatts of capacity powered by wind and solar.
The plan to transition the Fortescue’s haul truck fleet to zero emissions technology does not yet have a specific timeline but has been geared to coincide with replacement of existing diesel-powered trucks.
The announcement of the plan comes less than a week after the West Australian government brought in new diesel workplace exposure standards that mandates a limit on worker exposure to damaging diesel particulate matter.
Fortescue plans to use solar energy to power Australia’s largest electroylser in mid-2021 to generate green hydrogen for its hydrogen fuel cell bus fleet trial at Christmas Creek operations, before moving to trucks, trains and ships.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.