Stockholm, Sweden: Epiroc AB, a leading productivity and sustainability partner for the mining and construction industries, has won a significant contract to deliver a major fleet of fully autonomous and electric surface mining equipment to Fortescue in Australia. It is the largest order contract in Epiroc's history.
The equipment order contract is valued at MAUD 350 (SEK 2.2 billion) over five years. A first portion of the contract, valued at approximately MSEK 100, is expected to be booked in the second quarter of 2025.
Fortescue is an Australia-based technology, energy and metals group that is focused on accelerating the commercial decarbonization of industry, rapidly, profitably and globally. The company, which is also one of the world's largest iron ore producers, has ordered a fleet of Epiroc blasthole drill rigs; the cable-electric Pit Viper 271 E and the battery-electric SmartROC D65 BE. The equipment will be used at the company's iron ore mines in the Pilbara region in Western Australia. The driver-less machines will eventually be operated fully autonomously, overseen from Fortescue's Integrated Operations Centre in Perth more than 1 500 kilometers away. The machines will eliminate around 35 million liters of diesel consumption annually, according to Fortescue.
Epiroc's President and CEO Helena Hedblom and Fortescue Metals' CEO Dino Otranto held a contract signing ceremony at Fortescue's headquarters in Perth.
"Fortescue is on the forefront of the mining industry in reducing emissions from operations, and in using automation to strengthen safety and productivity, and we are proud to support them on this important effort," says Helena Hedblom. "Not only is this the largest contract we have ever received, but it is also a major step forward for our electric-powered surface equipment. We look forward to contributing to Fortescue's continued success now and in the future."
Fortescue Metals' Chief Executive Officer Dino Otranto says: "We're thrilled to be joining forces with Epiroc to bring cutting-edge electric mining equipment into our operations. The deployment of this new fleet of electric drills will immediately start reducing our carbon footprint, cutting over 90,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually once the fleet is operational."
"To decarbonize, we're aiming to swap out around 800 pieces of heavy mining equipment with zero emissions alternatives by the end of the decade, as well as deploy 2-3GW of renewable energy and battery storage across the Pilbara," Otranto adds.
The Pit Viper 271 E rotary blasthole drill rig, manufactured in Texas, United States, offers the same exceptional performance that the Pit Viper line is acclaimed for. The machine stands out with, among other things, its zero emissions and its patented cable feed system that prolongs component longevity and reduces operational costs. The SmartROC D65 BE, manufactured in Örebro, Sweden, is the new battery-electric version based on the well-proven SmartROC D65 drill rig. The new machine combines the invaluable experience gained from the development of Epiroc underground battery rigs with the many intelligent features of the original version.?
An Epiroc Pit Viper 271 E
An Epiroc SmartROC D65 E
For more information please contact:
Ola Kinnander, Media Relations Manager
+46 70 347 2455
media@epiroc.com
Epiroc is a global productivity partner for mining and construction customers, and accelerates the transformation toward a sustainable society. With ground-breaking technology, Epiroc develops and provides innovative and safe equipment, such as drill rigs, rock excavation and construction equipment and tools for surface and underground applications. The company also offers world-class service and other aftermarket support as well as solutions for automation, digitalization and electrification. Epiroc is based in Stockholm, Sweden, had revenues of around SEK 64 billion in 2024, and has almost 19 000 passionate employees supporting and collaborating with customers in around 150 countries. Learn more at www.epirocgroup.com.
