Before the first Early Learner CAT 793 battery-electric haul truck (BEHT) rolls into BHP’s Jimblebar mine in Western Australia in October, the miner’s Operational Decarbonisation team visited Caterpillar’s Tucson Proving Ground (USA) to witness it in action.
“It’s incredibly exciting to be here in Tucson seeing this battery-electric truck in action. Not only do these trials represent an important step on BHP’s operational decarbonisation journey, but the technical outcomes could help to inform how we approach these challenges moving forward,” said BHP Vice President Operational Decarbonisation Dan Heal during the 11 June visit.
“As we progress towards potential deployments, we need to consider how we plan our mines, manage power demand, charge equipment, the skills we will need, and most importantly, safety.”
In preparation for the truck’s arrival, Jimblebar is completing upgrades to site electrical transmission and distribution to enable high power charging infrastructure.
“Securing the first CAT Early Learner battery-electric haul truck is a reflection of the ongoing collaboration between BHP and Caterpillar and we are thrilled to be working together on this trial,” affirmed BHP Vice President Global Mining and Services Sebastian Greco.
The Early Learner program launched in 2021 and focuses on accelerating the development and validation of Caterpillar’s battery electric trucks at participating customers’ sites.
Source: BHP