Liebherr and Fortescue announced a $2.8 billion green equipment partnership and unveiled the jointly developed autonomous battery-electric T 264 truck. Together, the two companies will develop and validate a range of zero emission mining solutions, which will result in the supply of 475 new Liebherr machines featuring Fortescue’s innovative green technology to Fortescue’s operations in Western Australia. This represents about two thirds of the current mining fleet at Fortescue’s operations. Liebherr and Fortescue are committed to having a comprehensive and large scale zero emission mining ecosystem operational by 2030. Both companies have confirmed that, through their continued cooperation, customers will be able to access this ecosystem for their own operations in the coming years. The deal, with all of the equipment and technological innovations, amounts to the single largest deal made in the Liebherr Group’s 75-year history. The announcement was made at MINExpo International in Las Vegas, NV.

The total value of the partnership, comprising the supply of machines by Liebherr and the battery power system from Fortescue Zero, is up to US$2.8 billion. This represents the single largest equipment deal in the highly successful manufacturing and technology company Liebherr’s 75 year history, and is Fortescue’s single largest ever contract.

“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 decarbonize mining activities worldwide,” said Dr Jörg Lukowski, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Liebherr-Mining Equipment SAS. “he technology developed as part of this record-breaking deal will not only support our customers along their decarbonization journeys but also help us honor 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.”

“Partnerships with companies and people like Liebherr and Willi Liebherr – where ambition is backed by action – are critical,” Dr 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. Fortescue Zero developed this battery technology and jointly developed the Automated Haulage Solution, leading the way to provide green innovative solutions to eliminate emissions from heavy industry. We invite all companies in the mining, heavy industry and haulage sectors to join us. The solutions are there, and the missing ingredient is leadership. The time of others persuading you that greenwashing is a better return to shareholders and your community is over. Fortescue invites you to join us. We can together be the trailblazers who forge the world's move away from fossil fuels.”

Of the 475 machines that make up this deal, about 360 will be autonomous battery-electric T 264 trucks, containing a battery electric power system developed by Fortescue Zero. This is triple the 120 trucks that were announced as part of the initial partnership between Liebherr and Fortescue in 2022. Fortescue considers this to be the optimal path for the replacement of critical diesel Heavy Mobile Equipment to meet its 2030 decarbonization targets. All of the trucks in this fleet will ultimately be equipped with a zero emission battery power system developed by Fortescue Zero and the jointly developed Autonomous Haulage Solution (AHS) – both of which were built to be scalable so they can be retrofitted onto existing Liebherr haul trucks. This means that trucks purchased today are already futureproofed for tomorrow.

The AHS, which was co-developed using both companies’ expertise, also includes an Energy Management System that coordinates the static recharge assignments for the trucks and ensures the charger is fully utilized without causing queuing on site.

Fortescue has developed the stationary fast charging solution to support the autonomous battery-electric truck. Equipped with robotic connection options, the charger can provide up to 6 MW of power and charge the current battery-electric T 264 in 30 minutes.

The T 264 battery-electric truck will commence onsite validation at the end of 2025. The approximately 360-strong T 264 truck fleet has already begun arriving to Fortescue’s Western Australian operations, with the first trucks delivered to Fortescue’s Eliwana mine in October 2023. The initial 240-tonne capacity trucks will be converted to zero emission powertrains before 2030. However, most of the fleet will be supplied in battery-electric configuration from first arrival.

Four autonomous trucks are currently in validation at Fortescue’s testing site, with the first deployment of operational autonomous trucks expected in Q1 2025. All T 264 trucks are arriving autonomy-ready and will be progressively deployed to autonomous operations across Fortescue’s sites.

Validation of the full autonomous battery-electric solution is expected to be complete in early 2026.

This historic deal also includes the supply of 55 R 9400 E electric excavators. This fleet will be a mix of backhoe and face shovel configurations. Fortescue first adopted Liebherr’s electric excavator technology in 2023, with the commissioning of Australia’s first operational electric excavator in December of that year. Three R 9400 E excavators are already operational across Fortescue’s sites.