Caterpillar Inc.-subsidiary Progress Rail and technology, energy, and metals company Fortescue on Feb. 12 celebrated the delivery of two EMD® SD70J-BB battery-electric locomotives (BELs) at a ceremony in Western Australia’s Port Hedland.
The BELs arrived in December after a journey from Progress Rail’s plant in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Fortescue ordered the units in 2022 to support its iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, as part of its mission “to achieve ‘real zero’ operational emissions by 2030,” according to Progress Rail, which announced the companies’ celebration on Feb. 12. The BELs will be used to help transport ore between mining sites and port infrastructure.
The commissioning of both units is now under way, Fortescue reported separately on Feb. 12.
“Each eight-axle BEL is capable of providing 1,100 kilonewtons of tractive effort and 14.5 megawatt-hours of onboard energy, making them the most powerful and highest capacity BELs ever produced,” Progress Rail said. “Powered by renewable electricity through Fortescue’s Pilbara Energy Connect network, each BEL is expected to eliminate the consumption of approximately one million liters of diesel per locomotive per year. The units are also designed to recover 40% to 60% of energy through regenerative braking and support high-power charging up to 2.8 MW, improving operational efficiency and reducing turnaround times.”
According to Progress Rail, the new BELs are also equipped with an advanced technology suite. It said:
- “By using Nitro ETA, customers can orchestrate train movements, meet-and-passes and asset maintenance with greater precision, unlocking capacity gains.
- “With Talos, operators utilize cruise control technology that reduces energy use, improves in-train forces, and optimizes overall operational performance.
- “Through the UptimeIQ predictive‑maintenance platform, railroads can increase locomotive availability and reliability by identifying issues earlier, optimizing service intervals, and improving fleet readiness.”
“Today’s celebration highlights the power of collaboration and innovation,” said John Newman, President and CEO of Progress Rail. “We are proud to deliver railway solutions that help our customers meet their toughest challenges.”
“‘Real Zero’ is about transforming the way we power our assets, move our materials, and run our operations, not offsetting emissions but eliminating them,” Fortescue Metals and Operations CEO Dino Otranto said. “Decarbonizing our rail network is a critical part of that task and commissioning these battery-electric locomotives demonstrate that heavy-haul rail can operate reliably without fossil fuels.”
Separately, Anacostia Rail Holding’s Pacific Harbor Line is acquiring five zero-emission locomotives, building upon a successful first year of operations with its zero-emission Progress Rail EMD® Joule SD40JR BEL at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Also, Progress Rail and Brazilian logistics firm VLI on Feb. 10 reported celebrating the delivery of the last of eight EMD SD70ACe-BBs.
