The T 264 truck, weighing 416 tonnes, took centre stage at Fortescue and Liebherr’s technology reveal on Sept. 24, the first day of MINExpo. Both companies signed a historic agreement to introduce a fleet of 475 battery electric Liebherr machines to Fortescue’s operations in western Australia, of which 360 will be T 264 trucks. Courtesy of Liebherr.

Liebherr and Fortescue’s technology reveal on the opening day of MINExpo 2024 was nothing short of electrifying, as the curtain came down to showcase the new autonomous battery electric T 264 truck.  

Following the unveiling, Liebherr and Fortescue officially signed a US$2.8 billion green equipment deal that will see both companies further expand their goal of creating zero-emission mining solutions. 

The partnership will include a total of 475 zero-emission Liebherr machines (around 360 autonomous battery-electric trucks, 55 electric excavators and 60 battery-powered dozers), replacing around two thirds of Fortescue’s mining fleet at its iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of western Australia. All trucks in this fleet will be equipped with a battery electric power system, developed by Fortescue Zero, the company’s technology division, as well as a jointly developed autonomous haulage solution. 

The partnership represents Liebherr's single largest equipment deal in the company's 75-year history and is expected to deliver one of the world’s largest zero-emission mining fleets. Willi Liebherr, member of the administrative board of Liebherr-International AG, and Andrew Forrest, executive chairman of Fortescue, took to the stage at MINExpo to discuss this major advancement in mining technology, with Liebherr emphasizing that the T 264 “isn’t just a truck; it’s a full ecosystem.”  

The T 264 has been designed with an autonomous voltage solution, which can charge trucks in 12 to 58 minutes.  

Gross vehicle weight for the T 264 stands at 416 tonnes, with a payload capacity of up to 240 tonnes. The truck can reach speeds of up to 22.3 kilometres per hour. 

“The technology included in this machine is the result of the fantastic cooperation between two world-class companies that have decided to make a promise a reality,” said Liebherr. “We agreed that in order to make a real difference, we would combine the forces of our two companies, merging our areas of expertise, to create a technology solution that will be competitive with traditional mining technologies while using zero fuel.” 

Forrest said that this deal will bring Fortescue closer to reaching its target of real zero scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions across its Australian iron ore operations by 2030.  

“We're stepping up like we asked the [heavy equipment] industry to step up,” he said. Forrest added that if Fortescue can decarbonize its mining operations by 2030, the rest of the industry can follow in its footsteps by 2040. According to a press release issued by Fortescue on Sept. 25, the company’s mining fleet consumed around 450 million litres of diesel in the 2024 fiscal year, which accounted for 51 per cent of its Scope 1 emissions.