July 15, 2025 | Melbourne, Australia – In a strategic move to accelerate emissions reduction in its operations, BHP has signed two separate memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on the same day with China’s leading battery manufacturers—CATL and BYD’s FinDreams Battery subsidiary. The deals, inked during Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s official visit to China, mark a concerted effort to electrify heavy mining equipment and transport systems across BHP’s global mining sites.
Under the MoU with CATL, the world’s largest battery-maker, BHP will collaborate on developing battery-powered solutions for heavy mining machinery and railway locomotives. The scope includes exploring fast-charging infrastructure, energy storage systems, and battery recycling techniques—integral components of BHP’s long‑term goal to achieve net-zero operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. CATL, despite being blacklisted by the U.S. Department of Defense over alleged military links, has denied any wrongdoing and remains a key player in global battery innovation.
Meanwhile, BHP’s MoU with FinDreams Battery, a unit of the electric-vehicle leader BYD, focuses on deploying battery systems in mining vehicles and light commercial equipment as part of its diesel-displacement strategy. Notably, BYD’s Sealion 7 model has become Australia’s second bestselling electric car in H1 2025, with three of its models featuring among the country’s top 10. This collaboration highlights BHP’s aim to introduce low‑emission commercial and light vehicles on-site, alongside heavy equipment upgrades.
Rashpal Bhatti, BHP’s Chief Procurement Officer, emphasised that these partnerships represent a major milestone in the company’s “diesel displacement journey” and its broader commitment to transform resource extraction into a sustainable, low‑carbon model.
Analysts view the dual deals as part of a broader decarbonisation trend within the mining sector. BHP, alongside rivals Fortescue and Rio Tinto, has been racing to test electric haul trucks and alternative energy solutions in regions like Western Australia’s iron-ore heartland. However, BHP’s shared target—net-zero by 2050—is less aggressive than Fortescue’s goal of 2030, though consistent with industry efforts toward carbon neutrality.
Prime Minister Albanese, present at the signing ceremonies, hailed the agreements as confirmation of Australia’s role in supplying iron ore for a green steel transition, reinforcing the nation’s positioning in reshaping global industrial emissions.