Fortescue’s Final Solar Project For Mining Decarbonization

Fortescue, the Australia-headquartered metals mining group, has launched construction on what it says is the final solar project needed for the company’s Real Zero decarbonization plan across its terrestrial iron ore operations. 

The 690 MW Turner River Solar Farm is now under construction in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. It has also broken ground on a 650 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at Cloudbreak. The latter will comprise 125 battery units supplied by BYD and connected to the Cloudbreak Solar Farm. 

When combined with the 440 MW Solomon Airport,190 MW Cloudbreak, and 100 MW North Star Junction solar farms, Fortescue’s renewable portfolio in the Pilbara is expected to exceed 1.4 GW of renewable energy generation capacity. The company said this would be enough energy to power about 500,000 Australian homes. 

The company has also commissioned battery storage systems at Eliwana and North Star Junction to improve the reliability of renewable power across the Pilbara. Fortescue aims to eliminate fossil fuels, particularly diesel, from its iron-ore operational mining operations (see Fortescue Pushes ‘World-1st’ Fully Green Industrial Energy Grid). 

These projects are part of Fortescue’s broader Pilbara Green Grid integrated renewable energy network, which is designed to power mining operations with renewable electricity. 

Construction of the Turner River Solar Farm is scheduled for completion in 2028 and will include more than a million solar panels. The Cloudbreak BESS is expected to be completed in fiscal year 2027. Upon completion, it will provide 74 MW of power for around 8 hours. 

“While others are still debating whether decarbonisation is possible, Fortescue is getting on with building what’s needed to do it,” said Fortescue Metals and Operations CEO Dino Otranto. “Our solar farms, transmission lines, wind generation and batteries are being built right now across the Pilbara. We are moving first because the economics, the technology and the national interest are all pointing in the same direction.” 

Fortescue is also progressing construction on the 133MW Nullagine Wind Farm and expanding its Pilbara transmission network, which is expected to exceed 620 kms once completed. 

Alongside its renewable energy development, Fortescue continues to electrify its mining fleet. The company said 16 electric excavators and an electric drill are already operating at its iron ore sites, with around half of its excavator fleet expected to be electric by the end of 2026. 

Recently, the Fortescue board approved a $680 million investment to expand its green energy capacity in Pilbara (see Asia Pacific Solar PV News Snippets).