Liebherr haul truck operates on hydrogen for first time

A Liebherr T 264 haul truck prototype – developed by Liebherr Mining and Fortescue WAE – was operated for the first time with hydrogen power in Perth, Western Australia.

The Liebherr T 264 haul truck prototype contains a 1.6-MWh battery and 500 kW of fuel cells. (Photo: Liebherr)

The relationship between Fortescue and Liebherr dates to June 2022, when the companies established a partnership for the development and supply of zero-emissions mining haul trucks. Liebherr began delivering the first of Fortescue’s T 264 diesel-electric trucks in 2023, with the vehicles set to be converted to zero-emission technology by the end of the decade.

The prototype T 264, known as “Europa”, contains a 1.6-MWh battery developed in-house by Fortescue WAE and 500 kW of fuel cells. Over 380 kg of liquid hydrogen can be stored on board.

“With Europa soon moving to site, Liebherr and Fortescue have taken an important step closer to their common target of developing and building zero-emission solutions for the mining industry that are both field proven and energy agnostic,” said Joerg Lukowski, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Liebherr Mining. “This success demonstrates the incredible capabilities of two Tier 1 companies working together to develop viable technologies today that can help the mining industry move towards a decarbonized future.”

Fortescue Metals CEO Dino Otranto described Europa’s operation on hydrogen as “a huge achievement for the team” and one that brings Fortescue another step closer to implementing a fleet of zero-emission trucks at its sites by the end of the decade.

“We’re aiming to transport Europa to our mining operations within the coming weeks where it will then undergo further site-based testing and commissioning,” said Otranto. “The subsequent test results will inform our future fleet of zero-emissions trucks that we’re delivering with Liebherr.”