Fortescue’s Sophie Davies has big decarbonisation plans for 2025, after previously leading the delivery of a first-of-its-kind electric excavator
Coming from the United Kingdom, and having no previous knowledge of the mining industry, it’s fascinating to see just how much of an impact Sophie Davies has made as the decarbonisation delivery lead at Fortescue.
As a key figure in advancing the company’s decarbonisation strategy, she led the delivery of Liebherr’s first-ever R 9400E electric backhoe excavator to Fortescue in December 2023.
Multiple electric excavators are now in operation at Fortescue’s mine sites in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, thanks in large part to Davies. Plans are underway to expand the fleet with a significant number of additional electric excavators set to be delivered later this year.
Although she had never considered a career in the mining sector, Davies credits Fortescue’s values, and how they aligned with hers individually, as the overarching reason for entering the industry.
Originally in the role of change management officer, when an opportunity arose to join the decarbonisation team, she jumped at it.
“I have always been passionate about decarbonisation, and I knew I wanted to be in a role that would allow me to help make a change for the betterment of the planet,” Davies explains.
“I’ve been working in the decarbonisation team for two years now, which feels surreal, especially considering that some companies still don’t have decarbonisation strategies in place.”
Special delivery
As Fortescue’s Decarbonisation Delivery Lead, Sophie Davies is responsible for overseeing the implementation of new electrified mining equipment and identifying the necessary adjustments to surrounding systems to support the company’s long-term real-zero goals, whilst upholding Fortescue’s upstanding Safety, Cost and Production targets.
One of her key responsibilities has been transitioning Fortescue’s fleet of diesel-powered machinery to electric alternatives, a critical step in achieving the company’s ‘Real Zero’ target of zero terrestrial emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 2030, without relying on voluntary carbon offsets.
A standout achievement in this effort was the delivery of the Liebherr R 9400E electric excavator to Fortescue’s Cloudbreak mine in Western Australia.
At the time, the Liebherr R 9400E was the world’s first backhoe-configured electric excavator powered by a high-voltage trailing cable.
“When I reflect on this milestone, I realise just how significant it was and the impact it will have on shaping our future strategy,” Davies says.
“Every challenge imaginable arose in the lead-up to the energisation of the electric excavator , but in the true Fortescue fashion through courage and determination, we made it happen safely.”
The task of configuring a backhoe as an electric excavator and connecting it to a power grid was an unprecedented challenge. Fortescue had only used diesel-powered excavators previously, so Davies needed to assess the company’s mining operations to ensure that the equipment could be supported and to identify if any modifications were necessary.
The Liebherr R 9400E is powered by a high-voltage trailing cable, which Davies describes as a giant plug attached to the back of the excavator, which is connected to a substation. The excavator must remain plugged in to operate, introducing a number of unique challenges that Davies had to help solve through the implementation of cable management competencies.
“These cables carry high voltage, and are large and heavy,” she explains.
“Prior to this implementation, we had no experience with storing or transporting such cables, let alone managing them on-bench. This presented additional safety risks, so we implemented extra precautions, including specialised equipment to support the excavator’s movement and reduce the need for human interaction with the cables.”
Extra training on cable management was required for operators and site workers, as well as the creation of a new electrical team to handle the high voltage cables.
Environmental factors also presented challenges. The extreme temperature fluctuations in the Pilbara region resulted in condensation-related issues, causing water to enter the cable connections.
Similar equipment deployed in different climates had not encountered these problems, adding another layer of complexity.
Davies says people who had worked in the industry their whole lives had never seen some of these problems before, but Davies worked diligently with her team to resolve each issue. In doing so, Davies was recognised as a finalist in the Women in Resources, Rising Star of the year category as well as receiving an internal company award on behalf of her team for their courage and determination in never giving up on safely deploying the machine.
Initially, the team operated the excavator during daylight hours only, allowing them to assess its capabilities in a controlled setting.
“It took approximately three months to achieve utilisation levels comparable to those of a diesel-powered equivalent,” Davies says.
“True to Fortescue’s value of setting stretch targets, we successfully deployed two more excavators the following year.”
These additional excavators were deployed at Fortescue’s Solomon mine site in April 2024. Remarkably, it took just three days for the machines to reach their production targets.
In addition to the significant emissions reduction, operators have reported a more pleasant working experience, citing lower noise levels and faster operation compared to their diesel equivalent.
Fortescue and Davies’ challenge now for 2025 and beyond is to have multiple units of these electric excavators operating simultaneously at different sites.
“We are set to increase the number of electric excavators this year, and by the end of the next financial year, every one of our hematite sites will have at least one electric excavator,” Davies says.
Inclusive space
Previously unaware of the opportunities available to women in the mining industry, Davies is thankful for the position she’s now in.
With the opportunity to learn something new every day and overcome a range of challenges, she says the role is extremely rewarding.
In terms of encouraging more women to enter the sector, Davies highlights Fortescue has numerous initiatives and programs designed to empower women and help them thrive in their roles.
“Fortescue has recently opened a Leadership Acadamy and we are putting a lot of investment into our people,” she says.
“There are also opportunities to work flexibly, we can job share and there’s a creche at our Perth office, so parents can continue working even if childcare plans fall through.”
Despite these efforts, Davies often finds herself as the only woman in many of her meetings. However, she finds it encouraging that the traditionally male-dominated industry is becoming increasingly inclusive, with a growing focus on fostering a psychologically and physically safe working environment.
“There are a growing number of opportunities for women in mining, and at Fortescue we value the diverse skill sets that come from each person’s differing background. This brings diversity of thought that ultimately leads to more innovative and effective solutions” Davies says.
She adds that her role requires lots of thinking on her feet and that she is excited by the prospect of doing things that have never been done before.
“We’re proving a point to all the naysayers that believe decarbonisation won’t happen until 2050,” Davies says.
“If a mining company can decarbonise, then there’s absolutely no excuses for anyone else not to follow suit.”
- Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to receive the latest news in the earthmoving industry
- Never miss a great deal and subscribe to our monthly magazine
- Download a free copy of our latest digital magazine to catch up on the biggest news and developments in the earthmoving industry