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https://reneweconomy.com.au/fortescue-launches-its-first-electric-locomotives-with-batteries-the-size-of-more-than-200-tesla-evs/>
"Fortescue has officially unveiled the first of its first two battery
locomotives – to the sounds of loud Australian rock music – that will emerge as
a key part of the company’s ambitious plans to eliminate the use of fossil
fuels at its mining operations in the Pilbara by 2030.
The two locomotives are the first of 70 planned to replace the current fleet of
diesel locomotives that carry up to 40,000 tonnes of iron ore from the Pilbara
mines to Port Hedland.
The locomotives are not, however, the so-called Infinity trains that would rely
entirely on regenerative braking to recharge the batteries as they carried the
load downhill so they could return empty to the mine site.
That concept was scrapped last year when the physics didn’t match the company’s
bold ambition. The 5.6 megawatt (MW), 14.5 megawatt hour (MWh) batteries –
about the equivalent of 207 Tesla EVs – do generate regenerative power on the
trip down, but will need to be topped up at port while unloading.
And the company says it’s still assessing what technology can handle the
weights and distances required of an iron ore hauler to complete the task of
cutting emissions from the rail track, which it says is the hardest part of its
goal to reach “real zero” within four years.
What the locomotives can do was on show on Thursday this week, when Fortescue
unveiled the new machines at its Thomas railway yard in Port Hedland in front
of invited media.
One was posed, camera ready, on the forecourt of the rail yard. The other
slowly rolled into view from the direction of the port — hailed by loud
Australia rock music as it proved it can do what Fortescue says it can:
successfully pull the more than 200 wagons (then empty) needed to move iron
ore."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
