Australian company Fortescue has opened a new technical innovation centre Kidlington in the UK with the $US23 million ($AU36.5 million) facility to focus on the technical development, testing and prototype production of batteries and zero emission powertrains for applications that include motorsports, mining haul trucks, and other off-road and automotive applications.

Among the first batteries produced at the site will be those used to power Fortescue’s prototype 240-tonne mining haul trucks in Australia.

That battery system, which is currently being tested onsite in the Pilbara, is integral to Fortescue’s $US6.2 billion ($AU9.8 billion) decarbonisation strategy to help eliminate fossil fuels from its terrestrial iron ore operations, which includes replacing its existing diesel-fuelled fleet with battery electric and green hydrogen powered haul trucks.

Fortescue also announced the new site will develop and produce batteries for the first generation of Extreme H – a new motorsports series that will utilise hydrogen fuel cell and battery technology – beginning in February 2025. Fortescue WAE (which was created when Fortescue acquired Williams Advanced Engineering in 2022) is already the battery provider for the Extreme E Series and its all-electric off-road racing vehicles.

Fortescue says the Kidlington site will have the capacity to produce and test up to 500 prototype battery systems per year with a total production capacity of 50 MWh/annum.

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (November 2023)

22 November 2023