Epiroc wins its largest contract ever

The equipment order contract is valued at AUS$350 million (SEK2.2 billion) over five years. A first portion of the contract, valued at approximately SEK100 million, is expected to be booked in the 2Q25.

Fortescue is an Australia-based technology, energy, and metals group that is focused on accelerating the commercial decarbonisation 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 1500 km away. The machines will eliminate around 35 million l of diesel consumption annually, according to Fortescue.

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.

Epiroc’s President and CEO Helena Hedblom and Fortescue Metals’ CEO Dino Otranto held a contract signing ceremony at Fortescue’s headquarters in Perth. Hedblom said:

“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. 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.”

Otranto said:

“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 t of CO2 emissions annually once the fleet is operational. To decarbonise, 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.”

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/17042025/epiroc-wins-its-largest-contract-ever/