Liebherr transformed this large mining excavator to electrical energy

For the primary time within the firm’s 40-year historical past, Liebherr have transformed one in all their R 9400 excavators from a standard diesel to an electrical powertrain.

The re-powered mining machine was commissioned at Fortescue’s Christmas Creek mine website in Western Australia – however what’s extra important is that the conversion was finished throughout the usual service lifetime of the machine.

“The modular design of Liebherr gear makes it attainable to repower current diesel excavators to new zero emission configurations, equivalent to electrical powertrains,” explains Oliver Weiss, Government Vice President of R&D, Engineering, and Manufacturing for Liebherr Mining. “Which means that the diesel gear prospects purchase in the present day can also be future-proofed for a few years to come back. The truth that we will ease the transition from conventional to decarbonized mining fleets for our prospects is without doubt one of the key methods of the Liebherr Zero Emission Mining Program.”

Liebherr partnered with mining purchasers Fortescue to execute the repower, with engineers from each corporations working to make sure that the newly electrical excavator can be to the on a regular basis challenges of mining. The upgrades themselves, in the meantime, have been carried out at Liebherr-Australia’s Perth department in Western Australia.

Liebherr repowered R 9400 excavator

“That is an thrilling milestone for each Fortescue and Liebherr as we work collectively to develop the zero emission options the world must step past fossil fuels,” says Fortescue Metals Chief Government Officer, Dino Otranto. “Our partnership with Liebherr is an instance of true collaboration and the way heavy business can work collectively to decarbonize and get rid of fossil fuels.”

The transformed R 9400 might be linked to a relentless energy supply for vitality, both on to the grid or to a big scale BESS. For now, the excavator is linked to a hydrogen-fueled Offboard Energy Unit (OPU), designed and developed by Fortescue, that’s presently present process site-based testing.

Electrek’s Take

Changing gasoline and diesel-fueled vehicles to electrical at scale is an idea that’s fraught with issues. Far too many to checklist right here, in actual fact. However heavy gear?

Every part from excavators to loaders to heavy vans are constructed to be powertrain agnostic, and producers will typically provide the identical fundamental car with Cummins, Detroit Diesel, or Volvo energy, so there’s a level of openness baked into these techniques already. Libeherr is simply taking that to the following degree by putting in an electrical drive motor rather than an inside combustion engine. And, if the venture is profitable, it could possibly be the primary of many.