Australian miner BHP has placed an order for two battery locomotives from Wabtec.
BHP's Western Australia Iron Ore ordered two FLXdrive battery locomotives as it works to decarbonise its rail network. BHP relies on its Western Australia rail to transport iron ore mined in the Pilbara.
The locomotives will be delivered in 2023, and will have capacity of 7 MWh. The delivery of the locomotives is expected to reduce BHP's fuel costs, while emissions will drop by percentage double digits, Wabtec said.
Previous tests of the locomotives in the San Joaquin Valley saved more than 217,000 litres of diesel and approximately 63 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
BHP currently uses four diesel-electric locomotives to transport ore from the Pilbara to Port Hedland. These locomotives pull trains of approximately 270 cars, which carry a total of 38,000 tons of iron ore.
When the FLXdrive locomotives arrive, they will be incorporated into the train line to create a hybrid consist. The FLXdrive locomotives can recharge through a process of regenerative braking.
Wabtec's regenerative braking technology minimises the energy requires in acceleration and braking, and reuses this energy for heating and cooling of the locomotive.
Wabtec is also developing technology to power new locomotives and repower old locomotives with greener technologies, which include batteries, hydrogen internal combustion engines, and hydrogen fuel cells.
BHP is part of the International Council on Mining and Metals' (ICMM)'s Innovation for Cleaner, Safer Vehicles initiative, which calls for members to introduce greenhouse gas emission-free surface mining vehicles by 2040. The initiative also aims to minimise the operational impact of diesel exhaust by 2025.
Fellow ICMM member Rio Tinto submitted an order for four Wabtec FLXdrive locomotives earlier this month. Rio Tinto is aiming to halve its Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon emissions by 2030.
