Fortescue starts building 690MW solar farm in Pilbara

Fortescue (ASX: FMG) has begun construction of a solar farm and a giant battery system in Australia as the miner advances plans to reach “real zero” emissions by 2030.

The 690 megawatt (MW) Turner River solar farm and a 650MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at the Cloudbreak mine form part of Fortescue’s rapidly expanding integrated renewable energy ecosystem, the Australian iron ore miner said Monday in a statement. They will power the company’s Pilbara operations.

Together, the projects will generate more than 1.4 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity – enough to power around half a million Australian homes, the company said. Construction of the Turner River solar farm is expected to be complete in 2028, with over 1 million solar panels to be installed during the build.

Turner River represents the final solar installation required to deliver the company’s Real Zero decarbonization plan. Once complete and combined with the 440-MW Solomon Airport and the 190-MW Cloudbreak and 100-MW North Star Junction solar farms, Fortescue will have delivered all solar generation required to achieve Real Zero across its terrestrial iron ore operations.

The battery system at Cloudbreak is targeted for completion in the 2027 fiscal year, delivering 74 MW of power for a period of about eight hours. The system is expected to comprise 124 battery units integrated directly into the Cloudbreak solar farm.

Fortescue also said it completed commissioning of two battery energy storage systems at Eliwana and North Star Junction, strengthening the delivery of firm renewable power across its Pilbara operations.

Fleet electrification

The investments come as Fortescue moves to electrify its mobile mining fleet, with 16 electric excavators and an electric drill already operating across its iron ore operations. Around half of the company’s excavator fleet will be electric by the end of 2026, it said.

Fortescue’s first battery electric haul truck is expected to be operational before the end of the year. Its first in-house developed 6-MW fast charger has commenced commissioning and will support the rollout of battery electric haul trucks across the Pilbara. The charger will be capable of fully charging a haul truck in about 30 minutes.

Facility testing of XCMG’s prototype battery electric wheel loader, dozer, grader and water cart is also in the final stages, with the equipment preparing to make the journey from China to the Pilbara for site testing, Fortescue added.

Decarbonization efforts

“While others are still debating whether decarbonization is possible, Fortescue is getting on with building what’s needed to do it,” said Fortescue’s metals and operations CEO Dino Otranto. “The technology is here. The economics are improving every year. And anyone watching global fuel markets can see exactly why electrification and renewable power matter more than ever.”

Construction also continues on the 133-MW Nullagine wind farm, which will further diversify Fortescue’s renewable energy mix, the company noted.

Fortescue has already constructed more than 480 km of high-voltage transmission infrastructure across the Pilbara. Once complete, the network is expected to extend beyond 620 km, connecting Fortescue’s renewable energy assets to its mines, rail and port operations.

“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,” Otranto said.