Progress Rail breaks records with world’s most powerful zero-emission locomotives

The American company Progress Rail has unveiled two eight-axle battery locomotives from the EMD Joule series, which are now acknowledged to be the most powerful battery locomotives in the world. The event was held at the company’s production site in Sete Lagoas, Brazil.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Progress Rail to supply Fortescue locomotives in December

The locomotives are set to be delivered to Fortescue by the end of December. Each locomotive comprises 14.5 MWh of its traction battery system that has enough energy storage for use in industrial applications.

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The acquisition will enable Fortescue to realize its aim to lower CO₂ emissions. The firm is pursuing its decarbonization strategy and researching other types of traction technologies such as ammonia/hydrogen fuel and Advanced Batteries.

Progress Rail Increases Involvement in Electrification and Modernization

At the start of 2025, Fortescue repurposed a GE C44-9W (Dash 9) diesel locomotive built in 1998 to be fully powered by batteries. The aim was to carry out tests on the capabilities of battery tractive power.

During the autumn period, Fortescue placed its joint development project with Downer, an Australian firm that produces locomotives with catenary battery hybrid technology, temporarily on hold due to tests that proved the battery was not performing well enough to ensure that the process was economically viable.

The new locomotives to be produced by Progress Rail will be incorporated into Fortescue’s strategy to adopt zero-emissions technology and reflect the increasing willingness within the rail sector to adopt battery-powered solutions.

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