Iron ore rivals BHP and Rio Tinto have united to put battery-electric haul trucks to the test in Western Australia’s Pilbara region as the mining giants look to the challenges of decarbonizing large-scale mining activities.
BHP and Rio Tinto are trialling two of United States-headquartered equipment manufacturer Caterpillar’s battery-electric haul trucks at BHP’s Jimblebar iron ore mine in Western Australia as part of plans to reduce diesel usage across their operations.
The two Cat 793 XE Early Learner battery-electric haul trucks, delivered to the Jimblebar site late last year, have already accumulated more than 100 operating hours and completed 200 test laps.
“The trial is showing meaningful progress,” the companies said, adding that the scale and operational intensity of the Pilbara make it “an ideal testing ground” for the battery-electric technology.
BHP Australia President Geraldine Slattery said electrification of mining operations is core to the company’s decarbonization goals, and this trial is integral to that journey with diesel-powered haul trucks among the biggest Scope 1 emissions sources in open-pit mining, burning an estimated 40-50% of all diesel used across large-scale operations.
