Epiroc and Fortescue partner to drive decarbonisation in mining with historic deal

Epiroc AB, a leading productivity and sustainability partner for the mining and construction industries, has been awarded a big contract to supply a large fleet of completely autonomous and electric surface mining equipment to Fortescue in Australia. This is the largest order contract in Epiroc’s history.

The equipment order contract is worth MAUD 350 (SEK 2.2 billion) over five years.  The first portion of the contract, worth roughly MSEK 100, is projected to be booked in the second quarter of 2025.

Fortescue is an Australian technology, energy, and metals company dedicated to driving the commercial decarbonisation of industry at a quick, profitable, and global scale. The company, which is also one of the world’s major iron ore miners, has ordered a fleet of Epiroc blasthole drills, including the cable-electric Pit Viper 271 E and the battery-powered SmartROC D65 BE. The equipment will be utilised in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, where the business has iron ore mines.  The driverless vehicles will eventually run completely autonomously, with oversight from Fortescue’s Integrated Operations Centre in Perth, more than 1,500 kilometres distant.  Fortescue estimates that the machines will save approximately 35 million litres of diesel each year.

Helena Hedblom, President and CEO of Epiroc, and Dino Otranto, CEO of Fortescue Metals, attended a contract signing ceremony at the latter’s Perth offices.

“Fortescue is at the forefront of the mining industry in reducing emissions from operations and in using automation to strengthen safety and productivity, and we are proud to support them on this important effort,” says Helena Hedblom. “Not only is this the largest contract we have ever received, but it is also a major step forward for our electric-powered surface equipment. We look forward to contributing to Fortescue’s continued success now and in the future.”

Fortescue Metals’ Chief Executive Officer Dino Otranto says, “We’re thrilled to be joining forces with Epiroc to bring cutting-edge electric mining equipment into our operations. The deployment of this new fleet of electric drills will immediately start reducing our carbon footprint, cutting over 90,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually once the fleet is operational.”

 “To decarbonise, we’re aiming to swap out around 800 pieces of heavy mining equipment with zero emissions alternatives by the end of the decade, as well as deploy 2-3 GW of renewable energy and battery storage across the Pilbara,” Otranto adds.

The Pit Viper 271 E rotary blasthole drill rig, made in Texas, USA, delivers the same remarkable performance that the Pit Viper series is known for. The machine distinguishes itself with, among other things, zero emissions and a proprietary cable feed mechanism that increases component longevity and lowers operational expenses. The SmartROC D65 BE, manufactured in Örebro, Sweden, is a new battery-electric variant of the well-proven SmartROC D65 drill rig. The new machine combines the significant experience gained during the development of Epiroc underground battery rigs with the many clever features of the previous model.

For more information, visit: http://www.epirocgroup.com