After nearly a year of operation on a dedicated track line at the Jimblebar iron ore mine in Australia, BHP is proving that these 4,400 hp battery-electric powered heavy-haul locomotives are ready for prime time.
Australia’s first brand-new, purpose-built battery-electric locomotives (BELs) arrived in Port Hedland last November – and the two Wabtec FLXDrive BELs were immediately put to the test on BHP’s rail routes between its Jimblebar iron ore mines and Port Hedland operations in the Pilbara.
“The Pilbara has always been a place of big ambition, and these locomotives represent the kind of innovation that is needed to keep the region firing,” said Peter Thomas, Wabtec’s Regional Senior Vice President for ANZ & SEA. “Wabtec is proud to partner with BHP on this important step toward decarbonising rail operations. These locomotives are purpose-built to perform in one of the world’s most demanding environments, combining advanced battery technology and regenerative braking to deliver high efficiency and lower emissions.”
The train, itself
While most modern trains use electric drive motors, those are typically powered by diesel engines acting as electrical generators to haul up to 35,000 tonnes of ore. The Wabtec BELs are similarly powered by high-torque electric motors, but in these, the motors draw power exclusively from the locomotive’s batteries – and they are positively MASSIVE batteries!
Each of the Wabtec FLXDrive BELs is weighed down by a 7 MWh battery pack backed by advanced regenerative braking technology that can capture energy during downhill braking and feed it back into the battery.
On some long downhill runs and loaded up with ore, BELs with regenerative brakes could generate enough power to send the unladen train back uphill to get loaded up again, effectively meaning it’ll only need to be charged once, and then never again.
That kind of potential fuel savings is something every mining company will be looking at – including BHP, who announced plans to add two additional BELs to its Pilbara operations for extended trials just this week:
In FY2026, we commenced commissioning of two purpose-built Wabtec FLXdrive heavy-haul battery-electric locomotives in Port Hedland, marking the beginning of the trial program. Two further locomotives from Progress Rail were delivered to Perth in FY2026 and to be transported to Port Hedland for commissioning and testing in FY2027.
Once locomotives from both original equipment manufacturers are in trial, we expect to be one of the first mining companies globally to conduct side-by-side evaluations of battery-electric heavy haul locomotive technologies from two suppliers within the same operating environment. This creates a unique opportunity to compare [different products] and accelerate learning in large-scale rail applications.
Using gravity to charge up heavily-laden mining vehicles on downhill runs is an idea that’s been put into practice for years, with great success wherever the topography allows (since 2017, at least). Combining that clever use of gravity, traction braking, and battery storage for use on a rail system like this just seems smart, and it makes me think we’re just scratching the surface of all the clever ways electrification and battery storage will eventually get put to use.
I wonder what would happen if you threw some battery electric rail cars into the mix, as well!? You guys are smart, head down to the comments and let me know.
SOURCE | IMAGES: BHM, via International Mining.
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