Fortescue and Liebherr have developed a 6 MW DC fast charger. It is twice as fast as the 3 MW prototype shown last year. It was part of a $4 billion electric equipment deal signed at MINEexpo. The money will pay for 475 zero-emission Liebherr machines: 360 autonomous battery-electric trucks, 55 electric excavators, and 60 battery-powered loaders.
“Fortescue has developed the stationary fast charging solution to support the autonomous battery-electric truck,” the company said this week. “Equipped with robotic connection options, the charger can provide up to 6 MW of power and charge the current battery-electric T 264 [a 240 ton rigid haul truck] in 30 minutes.”
"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 Liebherr's executive vice president of sales and marketing Dr. Jörg Lukowski.
Fortescue wants to make its iron ore mining in Australia carbon neutral. The metals and mining industry causes 4-7% of the world's planet-warming gas pollution. This pollution leads to extreme weather, food shortages, and other big problems.
Fortescue and Liebherr have already started using driverless electric haul trucks at Fortescue's Australian dig sites. Other companies are making similar moves. Caterpillar has begun using fully electric haulers in Brazil at nickel, copper, and manganese mines. Komatsu has also shown off a fully electric line of heavy mining and construction equipment.
Source: Electrek