BHP, Rio Tinto to test battery-electric haul trucks in Pilbara

Mining giants BHP (NYSE:BHP) and Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO) to collaborate on the testing of large battery-electric haul truck technology in the Pilbara, Western Australia, to accelerate the potential for its future deployment, the companies reported on Monday.

The two companies will work with manufacturers Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) and Komatsu (OTCPK:KMTUY) to conduct independent trials of their battery-electric haul trucks, including testing of battery, charging systems, to assess performance and productivity in the Pilbara mine, they said in a statement.

Iron ore miners in the Pilbara are under pressure to slash emissions. BHP and Rio Tinto have worked with both Caterpillar and Komatsu since 2021 to support the development of their prototype battery-electric haul trucks as part of their shared ambition of net-zero operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The trucks included in these trials are based on these prototypes.

Two CAT 793 haul trucks will be trialled from the second half of 2024, and two Komatsu 930 haul trucks tested from 2026 at mine sites in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, the companies said.

BHP will trial the Caterpillar trucks, while Rio Tinto will trial the Komatsu trucks. Outcomes of the trials will be shared between BHP (BHP) and Rio Tinto (RIO).

“We’ve already seen a step-change reduction in Scope 1 and 2 operational greenhouse gas emissions through switching some of our supply to renewable electricity, and we are looking to build on that progress through development of battery-electric technology to reduce diesel usage across our operations,” BHP President Australia Geraldine Slattery said.

Source: Press Release