Fortescue’s hydrogen-powered haul truck prototype, dubbed “Europa”, has reached the significant milestone of having operated off hydrogen for the first time. This development marks a major step in Fortescue’s mission to decarbonize heavy industry as well as the company’s partnership with Liebherr Mining.

Delivered in collaboration with Liebherr, Europa is a T 264 Liebherr haul truck and contains a 1.6 MWh battery (developed in-house by Fortescue WAE) and 500 kW of fuel cells. The prototype can store more than 380 kilograms of liquid hydrogen.

Fortescue acquired Williams Advanced Engineering Limited (WAE) in 2022. (Earlier post.)

We’re aiming to transport Europa to our mining operations within the coming weeks where it will undergo further site-based testing and commissioning. The subsequent test results will inform our future fleet of zero emissions trucks that we’re delivering with Liebherr.

—Fortescue Metals Chief Executive Officer, Dino Otranto

In June 2022, Fortescue and Liebherr established a partnership for the development and supply of zero-emissions mining haul trucks. Fortescue anticipates that the final fleet will also comprise a large number of support Heavy Mobile Equipment from a range of suppliers with the vast majority having a Fortescue WAE power system.

Fortescue has already started to take delivery of the first T 264 diesel electric trucks which will be converted to zero emissions technology before the end of the decade.