Fortescue has delivered its first-ever large-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to North Star Junction (NSJ), marking a major milestone in its mission to decarbonise iron ore operations.
The installation is the first in a planned four-to-five gigawatt-hour rollout of energy storage systems required to decarbonise Fortescue’s energy supply over the coming years.
The NSJ BESS will store renewable energy generated during the day and supply green power to Fortescue’s Pilbara Energy Connect network at night.
The BESS will be powered by BYD’s advanced Blade Battery technology, which is engineered for high safety, reliability and performance.
Fortescue Metals and Operations CEO, Dino Otranto said: “This is a big moment for Fortescue – we’re fundamentally changing the way we power our mines.
“These systems let us store solar power and use it when we need it most, helping us cut diesel and gas and run our sites on renewable energy.”
The installation comprises 48 energy storage containers, offering a total capacity of 250MWh and capable of delivering 50MW of power for five hours.
Yin Xueqin, General Manager of BYD Energy Storage and New Battery Application, said: “Fortescue is leading one of the most ambitious mining decarbonisation programs in the world, and BYD is proud to support this transformation.
“The NSJ BESS is an important milestone for our partnership, and we will continue working closely with Fortescue to deliver the large-scale storage needed to power a green Pilbara.”
Fortescue is backing renewable energy infrastructure to reach its goal of Real Zero by 2030. The company’s next BESS installation will be at Eliwana, with a 120MWh system scheduled for delivery and installation in 2026.
Fortescue is also progressing the construction of its 190MW Cloudbreak Solar Farm, which is now almost halfway complete, and has built more than 460 kilometres of transmission lines as part of the Pilbara Energy Connect project.