Liebherr and Fortescue have announced plans to work together to build a completely Autonomous Haulage Solution (AHS) for their enormous, 264-ton BEV-converted electric haul trucks, which both firms claim to be a world first.
A dedicated facility at the Fortescue Christmas Creek mine is the site of the certification process for a fleet of four zero emission Liebherr T 264 autonomous trucks equipped with AHS. The validation process started earlier this month. That is the same operational mining site where Liebherr’s excavator with a BEV conversion is being tested.
“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,” says Oliver Weiss, Executive Vice President, R&D, Engineering, and Production, Liebherr Mining. “Liebherr has always prioritised market-led product development and we are privileged to be partnering with Fortescue. Our collaborative efforts will be beneficial for not only Fortescue, but all customers who choose to implement Liebherr technology products on their sites.”
As part of the development of AHS, Liebherr and Fortescue will develop an integrated Fleet Management System and a Machine Guidance Solution (no acronyms there, apparently), capable of being used independently alongside human-operated machines.
Upon completion of the AHS’ validation cycle, the Autonomous Haulage Solution will be deployed across all the global Fortescue mining sites.
“This development will allow us to offer the global market a complete AHS,” says Weiss. “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.”
Liebherr will begin offering AHS to other mining customers as the company continues to expand its autonomous tech portfolio.