Fortescue has delivered a major boost to jobs, manufacturing, and green energy in the United Kingdom, with the opening of a new state-of-the-art technical innovation centre in Kidlington.
The US$23million site will be home to 300 highly skilled workers, with up to 50 more jobs to be created across the next year, adding to Fortescue’s pledge to create over 1,000 jobs across our Oxfordshire sites and deliver on a commitment to keeping jobs and manufacturing in Britain.
The Kidlington facility will focus on the technical development, testing and prototype production of batteries and zero emission powertrains for a wide range of applications, including motorsports, mining haul trucks, and other off-road and automotive applications.
Fortescue can also announce the new site will exclusively develop and produce batteries for the first generation of Extreme H, a new motorsports series beginning in February 2025.
Fortescue WAE is already the battery provider for the Extreme E Series, and the Extreme H car will retain the same powertrain and chassis used in Extreme E, with one key differentiating factor, a hydrogen fuel cell combined with a smaller battery will replace the larger battery as the principal energy source.
Among the first batteries produced at the Kidlington site, will be those used to power Fortescue’s prototype 240 tonne mining haul trucks in Australia.
The battery system, which is currently being tested onsite in the Pilbara, is integral to Fortescue’s US$6.2 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.
The Kidlington site is co-located on the Oxford Technology Park and 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.
The facility allows Fortescue to expand electrification capability to support the growth of the business and the drive for green tech and zero emissions.
Source: Fortescue
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