To subscribe, advertise or contribute articles to www.australianmanufacturingnews.com contact publisher@xtra.co.nz
  • Home
  • Latest News
    • Developments
    • Manufacturing Technology
    • Products
    • Future of Manufacturing
    • Trade Shows/Events
    • Energy
    • Business
    • Daily News
    • Company News
  • Smart Manufacturing
Australian Manufacturing News
The official site for the Australian Manufacturing News magazine
  • Home
  • AI
  • Architecture
  • Aviation
  • Big Data
  • Books
  • Business
  • Company News
  • Covid-19
  • Daily News
  • Developments
  • Energy
  • Environment
  • Future of Manufacturing
  • Smart Manufacturing
  • Manufacturing Technology
  • Mining
  • Products
  • Resources
  • Smart Manufacturing
  • Space
  • Sustainability
  • Trade Shows/Events
  • The Creative Class
  • Uncategorized
  • Webinars

News Ticker

Australian made concussion diagnosis device exported to US
Climate Impact Corporation announces 10GW renewable hydrogen projects in South Australia and Northern Territory
Over 30 trades represented at 47th WorldSkills International
Securing OT  key to unlocking Australia’s manufacturing vision in an ever-growing threat landscape
Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg to headline international space symposium in Brisbane
The Budget 2024: Comment and Feedback on Energy Policies
Hunter class frigate program passes Preliminary Design Review milestone
Decarbonising our cities

Rio Tinto purchases first battery-electric trains for the Pilbara

Rio Tinto has agreed to purchase four battery-electric trains for use in the Pilbara region of Western Australia as part of the company’s strategy to reduce its carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.

Rio Tinto purchased the four 7MWh FLXdrive battery-electric locomotives from Wabtec Corporation with production due to commence in the United States in 2023 ahead of initial trials in the Pilbara in early 2024.

The locomotives, used to carry ore from the company’s mines to its ports, will be recharged at purpose-built charging stations at the port or mine. They will also be capable of generating additional energy while in transit through a regenerative braking system which takes energy from the train and uses it to recharge the onboard batteries.

A full transition to net zero emissions technology of its entire fleet of rail locomotives would reduce Rio Tinto Iron Ore’s diesel-related carbon emissions in the Pilbara by around 30 per cent annually.

Rio Tinto Managing Director of Port, Rail and Core Services Richard Cohen said delivery of the prototype locomotives will be an important early step for the company on the path toward a decarbonised Pilbara.

“Our partnership with Wabtec is an investment in innovation and an acknowledgement of the need to increase the pace of our decarbonisation efforts.

“Battery-electric locomotives offer significant potential for emissions reduction in the near term as we seek to reduce our Scope 1 & 2 carbon emissions in the Pilbara by 50 per cent by 2030.”

Rogerio Mendonca, President of Freight Equipment for Wabtec, said the FLXdrive is ideally suited to support Rio Tinto’s decarbonisation targets.

“This locomotive provides the power, fuel savings and emissions reductions to cost-effectively run rail networks in the mining industry. The rapid adoption of the FLXdrive by Rio Tinto and other mining operators demonstrates the industry’s commitment to decarbonising their operations.”

Once delivered, the locomotives will be trialled within controlled environments in the Pilbara and tested against a range of safety and functional criteria, including integration with AutoHaul™.

This flagship project reaffirms Rio Tinto’s commitment to significantly reducing carbon emissions by switching to renewable power and rolling out electric mobile fleets across the Pilbara.

Share this:

Related Posts

Isaac Gross

Business /

Would a corporate tax cut boost productivity in Australia?

Paul-Eastwood-Argon & Co

Company News /

Do or die: Why “transformation at scale” is now a must for Australian manufacturers 

Technology is transforming

Daily News /

Technology is transforming Road Safety, but we still have a long way to go

‹ Why manufacturing needs a new approach to cybersecurity › Overcoming the security challenges of Industry 4.0

22nd June 2025

Recent Posts

  • Would a corporate tax cut boost productivity in Australia?
  • Do or die: Why “transformation at scale” is now a must for Australian manufacturers 
  • ON Accelerate 9 showcases national innovation potential in deep tech
  • Got Solar? Share the power: National energy trial needs volunteers
  • Kemppi Australia launches 2025 Art of Welding Competition
  • Riviera awarded Apprenticeships Leadership Medal
  • AREMA calls for urgent reform on incentives for hot water heat pumps
  • Australia and Japan’s top engineers show the way for a renewable hydrogen sector

Categories

  • AI
  • Architecture
  • Aviation
  • Big Data
  • Books
  • Business
  • Company News
  • Covid-19
  • Daily News
  • Developments
  • Energy
  • Environment
  • Future of Manufacturing
  • Manufacturing Technology
  • Mining
  • Products
  • Resources
  • Smart Manufacturing
  • Smart Manufacturing
  • Space
  • Sustainability
  • The Creative Class
  • Trade Shows/Events
  • Uncategorized
  • Webinars

Back to Top

  • Home
  • AI
  • Architecture
  • Aviation
  • Big Data
  • Books
  • Business
  • Company News
  • Covid-19
  • Daily News
  • Developments
  • Energy
  • Environment
  • Future of Manufacturing
  • Smart Manufacturing
  • Manufacturing Technology
  • Mining
  • Products
  • Resources
  • Smart Manufacturing
  • Space
  • Sustainability
  • Trade Shows/Events
  • The Creative Class
  • Uncategorized
  • Webinars

To subscribe, advertise or contribute articles to australianmanufacturingnews.com contact publisher@xtra.co.nz

(c) Australian Manufacturing News, 2025