XUZHOU, China, Aug. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — XCMG’s drive to bring battery-electric mining equipment to Australia’s Pilbara region was the focus of an in-depth feature published by The Australian Financial Review (AFR) on Aug 3, including an interview with Yang Dongsheng, chairman of XCMG Group and XCMG Machinery.
XCMG’s Electric Mining Push Featured in The Australian Financial Review
The feature examines how the Pilbara, home to some of the world’s largest iron ore operations, is emerging as the testing ground for the next generation of zero-emission mining equipment. XCMG’s landmark partnership with Fortescue sits at the center of that transition.
XCMG ranks among the world’s largest makers of open-pit mining equipment, with machines working across mines in Africa, Europe and the Americas. Battery-electric models are a growing part of that lineup.
Under a strategic agreement signed in September 2025, XCMG will supply Fortescue with 150 to 200 units of 240-tonne battery-electric haul trucks — China’s largest-ever export order for green mining equipment — supporting Fortescue’s goal of eliminating fossil fuels from its terrestrial iron ore operations by 2030.
Speaking to the AFR, Yang called Australia “one of the most high-end markets around the world for our industry,” and a proving ground for XCMG to show that electric mining equipment can haul at scale.
Yang expects the contest to be decided by the machines themselves, with customers picking suppliers on technology, cost and efficiency, the areas where XCMG has concentrated its investment.
Fortescue Executive Chairman Dr. Andrew Forrest, interviewed alongside Yang in Perth, told the AFR that Fortescue had deliberately chosen partners like XCMG for their flexibility and courage to recognize the industry’s shift to low-carbon operations.
The interview followed a visit by Fortescue CEO Dino Otranto to XCMG’s test facility in Xuzhou, where he test-drove the battery-electric mining equipment that will soon be deployed in the Pilbara.
XCMG’s work with Fortescue builds on a growing track record in electric mining. The company has deployed the world’s first fully autonomous, all-electric mining trucks at the Yimin open-pit mine in China and was recognized at the 2025 Decarbonising Mining Awards.
As the mining industry moves away from diesel, XCMG will continue building equipment that cuts emissions without costing operators productivity. Together with partners like Fortescue, the company is working to make zero-emission mining a commercial reality across the sector.
The full feature is available in The Australian Financial Review here.
