In a first for Western Australia’s metro infrastructure projects, the Byford Rail Extension project has debuted a fully electric concrete truck.
Following a successful six-month trial at a remote mine site near Port Hedland, the Foton electric concrete truck from Holcim Australia is now delivering materials to Byford Rail Extension project sites.
A spokesperson for METRONET said replacing one diesel concrete truck with the electric option will prevent around 42 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year.
“As well as lowering carbon emissions, the electric concrete truck is quieter than its diesel counterpart, reducing noise pollution to create a better work environment for site crew and a quieter experience for the local community while site works are underway,” they said.
The electric concrete truck is just one of several lower-carbon alternatives in place on the project.
In 2024, MetCONNX (the alliance name for the Byford Rail Extension Project) began trialling the use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as fuel.
The project is now undertaking a new trial, testing a HYDI unit that can be retrofitted to existing diesel equipment to produce hydrogen on demand for engines, with a lifecycle of about 20 years.
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