Brazil: Two eight-axle Bo-Bo – Bo-Bo EMD Joule locomotives have been presented at the American manufacturer’s facility in Sete Lagoas.
The vehicles are equipped with traction batteries boasting a capacity of 14.5 MW·h each. The locomotives are scheduled for delivery in December to Fortescue, a mining company based in Western Australia.
The acquisition supports Fortescue’s strategy to reduce CO₂ emissions. The company is exploring multiple pathways to decarbonisation, including converting diesel locomotives to run on ammonia-hydrogen fuel or adopting battery-electric traction. Earlier this year, Fortescue also converted a 1998-built GE C44-9W (Dash 9) diesel locomotive to battery operation.
Eight-axle battery locomotive from Progress Rail for Fortescue. Source: Fortescue
However, IRJ reported this autumn that a collaborative project between Fortescue and Australian manufacturer Downer to develop a battery–catenary locomotive has been paused. According to engineering sources from Fortescue, quoted by another media outlet, Boiling Cold, the decision was due to the limited battery power output of a single locomotive. This would require the use of several additional units to haul a train, making the Fortescue project economically unviable. However, Downer has confirmed to IRJ that the concept and technology of battery-electric locomotive remain both technically feasible and operationally viable in freight and passenger contexts, and the company continues to actively advance such locomotive developments.
