First CAT Early Learner electric haul truck to touch down at Jimblebar
The first Early Learner CAT 793 battery-electric haul truck (BEHT) is on its way to BHP's Jimblebar iron-ore mine, in Western Australia, marking a milestone in the company’s decarbonisation efforts.
Members of BHP's operational decarbonisation team witnessed the BEHT in action this week at Caterpillar's Tucson proving ground, ahead of its arrival in October 2024.
BHP VP operational decarbonisation Dan Heal expressed the excitement surrounding the development: "It’s incredibly exciting to be here in Tucson seeing this battery-electric truck in action. Not only do these trials represent an important step on BHP’s operational decarbonisation journey, but the technical outcomes could help to inform how we approach these challenges moving forward. As we progress towards potential deployments, we need to consider how we plan our mines, manage power demand, charge equipment, the skills we will need, and most importantly, safety."
BHP VP global mining and services Sebastian Greco highlighted the importance of innovation and collaboration.
“Taking action requires us to challenge the market to approach technology development differently. It requires the industry to innovate and adopt new collaborative methods, to identify solutions through studies and proof-of-concept trials, and it requires us to learn together as we go. Securing the first CAT Early Learner battery-electric haul truck is a reflection of the ongoing collaboration between BHP and Caterpillar, and we are thrilled to be working together on this trial,” he added.
In preparation for the BEHT's arrival, BHP’s Jimblebar mine is completing upgrades to its site electrical transmission and distribution to enable high power charging infrastructure. This is part of BHP’s broader strategy to decarbonise its operations by reducing Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse-gas emissions through diesel displacement, elimination of fugitive emissions, and electrification.
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