Australian miner BHP has announced that it has received Australia’s first Cat® 793 XE Early Learner battery-electric haul trucks at its Jimblebar iron ore mine in the Pilbara.
The two trucks were delivered under a unique collaboration between BHP, Rio Tinto and Caterpillar, supported by equipment dealer WesTrac. The initiative represents a milestone for Australia’s mining sector as it begins transitioning away from diesel-powered haulage.
Once commissioning is complete, the trucks will enter structured trial programs designed to evaluate their performance.
Trials to evaluate feasibility of zero-emission haulage fleets
During the testing phase, BHP and Rio Tinto will assess operational performance compared with diesel-powered trucks, battery life, charging cycles and fleet-management requirements, infrastructure needs for large-scale electrification, and integration with existing mine processes and workforce capabilities.
Following the joint trial phase, each company will independently decide whether to advance to larger-scale pilots across their respective operations.