Rio Tinto's carbon reduction: Electric trains will come to the Pilbara mine

The iron ore giant is taking action on carbon emission reduction commitments and has begun to further explore the use of electrification technology in production and transportation activities.

On January 11, Rio Tinto said it had decided to buy four electric train locomotives for its main iron ore-producing region, Pilbara, Western Australia, a move that would support the company's goal of reducing carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.

Rio Tinto said the electric trains will be responsible for transporting the ore from Rio Tinto's mine to the port, and Rio Tinto will build a dedicated charging station at the port or mine to charge the train. These trains can also recover energy through regenerative braking systems during transport and use the recovered energy to recharge the locomotive batteries.

Rio Tinto said that if the entire train fleet fully transitions to net-zero emissions technology, Rio Tinto Iron Ore's diesel-related carbon emissions in Pilbara will be reduced by about 30% per year.

The four electric freight trains are model FLXdrive and are supplied to Wabtec, a manufacturer of american railway brake equipment and rolling stock equipment. The trains are scheduled to start production in the U.S. in 2023 and undergo initial trials in the Pilbara region in early 2024.

The series of electric freight trains is also the world's first battery-powered freight train. More than three months ago, it was Wabtec that showcased the front part of the electric freight train at an event in Pittsburgh.

According to previous reports, on a railroad at Carnegie Mellon University's Science Park, the cherry-red, 75-foot-long locomotive includes a small cab and 500 lithium-ion battery modules.

Rio Tinto confirmed to the Economic Observer reporter on January 12 that Rio Tinto's order will be the latest version of FLXdrive, that is, the 7 MW FLXdrive locomotive. Wabtec said that by developing complementary hydrogen fuel cells, it will help eliminate emissions. If used globally, the technology could reduce the Earth's thermal energy emissions by an estimated 300 million tons per year, with nearly half of the savings occurring in the United States.

Richard Cohen, General Manager of Rio Tinto's Ports, Railways and Core Services, believes that the prototype delivery of electric locomotives will be an important first step on Rio Tinto's road to decarbonizing Pilbara. "We want to reduce the carbon emissions of Scope 1 and Scope 2 in the Pilbara region by 50% by 2030, and electric locomotives have great potential to reduce emissions in the short term," he said. "

Rogerio Mendonca, president of Wabtec Freight Equipment, believes FLXdrive is ideally suited to support Rio Tinto's decarbonization goals. "This locomotive provides power, saves fuel, reduces emissions and makes rail network operations in the mining industry cost-effective," he said. The rapid adoption of FLXdrive by Rio Tinto and other mine operators demonstrates the mining industry's commitment to decarbonizing business operations. ”

Rio Tinto said that after delivery, these electric locomotives will be tested in a controlled environment in Pilbara and tested according to a series of safety and functional standards, including integration with the automatic train system (AutoHaul).

【Source: Economic Observer】