Construction is underway on Fortescue’s 440-megawatt solar farm at Solomon Airport, which will become the largest solar development in Western Australia once complete.
Located in the Pilbara, the project is estimated to deliver one-third of the total solar capacity required for Fortescue to achieve its Real Zero goal once built.
Construction is expected to be completed in 2028 with approximately 671,000 panels installed.
The project follows the construction of the Cloudbreak solar farm which is around two-thirds complete. The farm has a capacity of 190-megawatts.
“We’re building the solar and wind farms, connecting them through our high-voltage transmission network and backing them with battery storage to provide 24/7 firm power,” Fortescue metals and operations chief executive officer Dino Otranto said in a statement.
“Importantly, each successive solar project is being delivered more efficiently than the last. As technology improves and we gain scale, our installed capital intensity continues to come down – strengthening the economics of replacing diesel and gas with renewable energy.”
A proposed 644 megawatt solar farm at Turner River is anticipated to commence construction later this year and will help deliver 1.3 gigawatts of solar capacity in conjunction with the Solomon, Cloudbreak, Turner River and North Star Junction projects.
This is equivalent to powering around half a million Australian homes each year, Fortescue said.
Construction is also underway for a 133 megawatt wind farm, further diversifying the company’s renewable energy mix. Together, these projects represent one of the largest energy developments by any heavy industry company in Australia.
Fortescue recently announced the official commissioning of two battery electric locomotives to operations in the Pilbara, solidifying the company’s position as being a leader in decarbonisation efforts globally.
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