Rio Tinto, an Australian-based mining and metals company, recently ordered four FLXdrive battery-electric locomotives from Pittsburgh-based Wabtec Corp.
The 100-percent battery-powered locomotives have a capacity of 7 megawatt-hours. They recharge at charging stations and through regenerative braking. Wabtec’s energy-management software system will determine the optimal times to discharge and recharge the batteries along to route.
Rio Tinto will use the locomotives in multiple applications, including in mainline service and as a shunter in the railyard. The FLXdrive is expected to reduce the company’s fuel costs and emissions by double digits per train.
They will be used along with Rio Tinto’s rail network in the Pilbara region of Western Australia and help the company reach its goal of achieving a 50 percent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2030.
“This locomotive provides the tractive effort, fuel savings, and emissions reductions to cost-effectively run rail networks in the mining industry,” Rogerio Mendonca, Wabtec president of freight equipment, said. “The rapid adoption of the FLXdrive by Rio Tinto and other mining operators demonstrates the industry’s commitment to decarbonizing their operations.”
Rio Tinto currently uses three diesel-electric locomotives to pull trains with 240 cars hauling about 28,000 tons of iron ore.
The order will be delivered next year.