BHP deploys electric Liebherr excavator at Western Australia mine site

BHP has deployed a 400-tonne Liebherr electric excavator – the R 9400 E – at a mine site in Western Australia.

The delivered R 9400 E is equipped with Liebherr's cable reel – an autonomous cable management system for Liebherr's electric excavators that offers ideal machine maneuverability and operator safety. Due to the nature of iron ore mining compared to traditional cable electric excavator applications, the added mobility provided by the cable reel will help maintain productivity during operation.

"Liebherr, as a company, has more than 40 years' experience in the development and manufacturing of electric excavators, so electrification is part of our DNA," says Brian Boitano, executive general manager of sales and marketing at Liebherr-Australia. "In fact, we are excited to be expanding the reach of this technology into the Australian market. We've had multiple orders for electric excavators this year, with several electric excavators on our order books for 2024 and 2025."

Liebherr and BHP have enjoyed a strong and successful partnership based on shared safety and innovation values for two decades.

"The R 9400 E is a testament to Liebherr's dedication to providing innovative and efficient zero emission solutions for the mining sector. We are thrilled to partner with BHP to introduce our proven electric excavators into their operations," continues Boitano.

"We've set ourselves a clear goal to hit net zero operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,' says Tim Day, asset president of Western Australia Iron Ore. "In order to get there, we're working to electrify most of our mining fleet that currently runs on diesel. Having BHP's first electric excavator at Yandi is exciting and the trial is another step forward on our pathway to net zero. Liebherr is a great company and a great partner, and we are delighted to be working with them on such an important project."