In a significant development for the mining industry, Liebherr and Fortescue have announced plans to jointly develop a fully autonomous haulage solution (AHS) for their 264-ton battery electric vehicle (BEV) converted haul trucks. The collaboration aims to create a zero-emission fleet capable of operating without human intervention.
On-site validation of four Liebherr T 264 autonomous trucks equipped with AHS began earlier this month at Fortescue’s Christmas Creek mine. This facility, designed for testing and development, is also trialing Liebherr’s BEV-converted excavator.
“With our teams now fully integrated, Liebherr is excited to formally announce our partnership with Fortescue to collectively develop and deploy our Autonomous Haulage Solution,” said Oliver Weiss, Executive Vice President, R&D, Engineering, and Production at Liebherr Mining. “Liebherr has always prioritized market-led product development, and we are privileged to be partnering with Fortescue. Our collaborative efforts will be beneficial not only for Fortescue but for all customers who choose to implement Liebherr technology products on their sites.”
The partnership will also focus on developing an integrated fleet management system and a machine guidance solution that can operate independently or alongside human-operated machines. Once the validation cycle of the AHS is complete, it will be deployed across all Fortescue mining sites globally.
“This development will allow us to offer the global market a complete AHS,” Weiss added. “These innovative technologies form part of our expanding range of technology products and are another step forward in our strategy to become a total solution provider for the mining industry.”
