Fortescue has started construction on its Solomon Airport solar farm, which will become Western Australia’s largest solar farm and part of the company’s decarbonisation plans.
The iron ore miner started construction on the 440-megawatt solar farm, which, once complete, will deliver around one-third of the total solar capacity required for Fortescue to achieve its real zero target.
Construction of the solar farm is expected to be completed in 2028, with Fortescue installing 671,000 solar panels during the build.
Fortescue Metals and Operations CEO Dino Otranto, said: “Across the Pilbara, we’re using the region’s sun and wind to generate green power for our sites.
“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.
“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.”
The Solomon Airport solar farm is another project in Fortescue’s growing solar portfolio. The miner said its 190 MW Cloudbreak solar farm in Western Australia is about two-thirds complete. A proposed 644MW solar farm at Turner River is expected to commence construction later in 2026.
Once operational, the three solar projects, together with the existing 100MW North Star Junction solar farm, will deliver 1.3 gigawatts of solar capacity, which is equivalent to powering around half a million Australian homes each year.
Fortescue is also constructing the 133MW Nullagine wind farm, which further diversifies the company’s renewable energy mix.
The company said these projects represent one of the largest renewable energy deployments by any heavy industry company in Australia.
Through the company’s Pilbara Energy Connect, Fortescue has installed more than 480 kilometres high-voltage transmission lines across the Pilbara.
Once complete, the network will extend to more than 620 kilometres, physically linking Fortescue’s energy assets to its operations and rail network.