Global metals and mining firm Rio Tinto has ordered four of Wabtec's FLXdrive battery-electric locomotives for its rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
The 100% battery-powered locomotive will help the mining firm achieve a 50% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2030.
Rio Tinto’s order is for the latest version of the FLXdrive locomotive, which features 7 MWh energy capacity. The new locomotive is expected to help reduce the firm’s fuel costs and emissions in a double-digit percentage per train.
“Our partnership with Wabtec is an investment in innovation and an acknowledgment of the need to increase the pace of our decarbonization efforts,” said Rio Tinto Iron Ore Managing Director of Port, Rail and Core Services Richard Cohen. “By locking this in now, we are making progress in our efforts to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2030.”
Wabtec will deliver the locomotives in 2030. Rio Tinto intends to use the locomotives in multiple applications, including as a shunter in the railyard and in the mainline service. At present, Rio Tinto’s mainline service uses three diesel-electric locomotives. The FLXdrives will develop a hybrid consist.
Related story
Caterpillar, Newmont strike deal on Battery-Electric locomotives for Mining Ops
The locomotives will recharge during the trip via regenerative braking and at charging stations. Wabtec’s energy-management software will help determine the optimal time to recharge the batteries along the route and ensure fuel efficiency.
“The FLXdrive is ideally suited to support Rio Tinto’s sustainability targets for their Pilbara system,” said Rogerio Mendonca, President of Freight Equipment for Wabtec. “This locomotive provides the tractive effort, fuel savings, and emissions reductions to cost-effectively run rail networks in the mining industry. The rapid adoption of the FLXdrive by Rio Tinto and other mining operators demonstrates the industry’s commitment to decarbonizing their operations. This solution represents a major step toward achieving zero-emission locomotive fleets in the future.”
Late last year at the Manufacturing and Technology Show in Cleveland, Wabtec Chief Technical Officer Eric Gebhardt highlighted how the Pittsburgh-based manufacturing was leveraging emerging technologies to drive sustainability both in the factory and on the tracks.
Employing artificial intelligence and large-scale battery technologies to help Wabtec eliminate wasteful energy use, Gebhardt noted. The goal is reducing emissions 60 million tons annually, compared to moving the same level of freight via trucking.
