AUSTRALIA: Fortescue Metals Group has ordered two EMD Joule battery locomotives from Progress Rail for use on its iron ore railway in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Offering an energy storage capacity of 14·5 MWh, the eight-axle BE14.5BB locomotives will be manufactured at Progress Rail’s Brazilian plant in Sete Lagoas for delivery in 2023.
Fortescue CEO Elizabeth Gaines said the order announced on January 6 was part of the company’s diversification ‘from a pure play iron ore producer to a green renewables and resources company’. It also demonstrated FMG’s ‘commitment to achieving carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030’.
‘The new locomotives will cut our emissions while also reducing our fuel costs and our overall operational expense through lower maintenance spend’, she explained. ‘The acquisition builds on the work being carried out by Fortescue Future Industries’ Green Team in Hazelmere to deliver locomotives operating solely on green ammonia and other green renewable fuels and technologies.’
‘Fortescue and FFI are working together to demonstrate that renewables can power the energy needs of Australia’s mining and resources sector’, added FFI CEO Julie Shuttleworth. The Green Team had made ‘outstanding progress’ with decarbonising the group’s activities, transforming ‘trains, trucks, ships and other mobile equipment to operate on zero pollution fuels as soon as possible’.
‘We are pleased to be working with the Fortescue team to determine the application, feasibility, and suitability of battery electric technology for deployment on their railway’, said President & CEO Progress Rail Marty Haycraft. ‘We look forward to continuing to support our global customers with innovative products and services to help them meet their sustainability goals.’
