Fortescue has commenced commissioning of two new battery electric locomotives on its Pilbara rail network, marking a key step in the company’s push to eliminate Scope 1 and 2 emissions from its Australian iron ore operations by 2030.
Delivered by Progress Rail, the locomotives are expected to remove around one million litres of diesel consumption each year. Each unit houses a 14.5 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery – described as the world’s largest land-mobile battery – and is capable of recovering 40–60 per cent of energy through regenerative braking.
The locomotives will be powered by renewable energy generated and transmitted through Fortescue’s Pilbara Energy Connect (PEC) program, which is progressively linking the miner’s energy assets, operations and rail network.
Fortescue Metals and Operations chief executive officer Dino Otranto said decarbonising rail was central to the company’s Real Zero strategy.
“Real Zero is about transforming the way we power our assets, move our materials and run our operations, not offsetting emissions but eliminating them,” Otranto said.
“Decarbonising our rail network is a critical part of that task and the commissioning of these battery electric locomotives demonstrates that heavy-haul rail can operate reliably without fossil fuels.”
Otranto said large-scale renewable generation and storage were essential to ensuring reliability across a mining system of Fortescue’s scale.
Through PEC, Fortescue has constructed more than 480 kilometres of high-voltage transmission lines across the Pilbara, enabling renewable power to replace diesel and gas in real time.
At North Star Junction, the company operates a 100 megawatt (MW) solar farm supported by a 250MWh battery energy storage system capable of delivering up to 50MW for five hours, helping to stabilise supply.
Construction of the 190MW Cloudbreak Solar Farm is around two thirds complete, while the up to 644MW Turner River Solar Farm has received primary approvals and is expected to begin construction later this year. A 440MW solar farm at Solomon also remains in the near-term pipeline.
Fortescue Growth and Energy chief executive officer Gus Pichot said battery storage would underpin the system.
“Battery storage is the backbone of a renewable-powered mining system,” Pichot said, noting the integration of Fortescue Zero’s Elysia battery management software to optimise performance and balance energy flows in real time.
“This technology ensures the right power is available at the right time – whether that’s supporting rail operations, smoothing solar output or maximising the value of stored energy,” Pichot said.
The rail milestone forms part of Fortescue’s broader Climate Transition Plan, which includes wind development, expanded electric mining equipment and strategic global partnerships aimed at delivering its Real Zero target by the end of 2030.
Fortescue’s other Pilbara decarbonisation milestones include:
• Commencement of construction of Fortescue’s first Pilbara wind project, the Nullagine Wind Project.
• Expansion of electric mining equipment, with one electric drill and 12 electric excavators now operational across multiple sites.
• Strategic global partnerships across solar, wind, energy storage and electrified heavy equipment, supporting large-scale deployment.
• Investment in next-generation renewable technology, including acquisition of Nabrawind to support future Pilbara wind projects.
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