Fortescue has started constructing the 440MW Solomon Airport solar project in the Pilbara region, which is set to become Western Australia’s (WA) largest solar farm.
This development is a central part of Fortescue’s strategy to achieve its Real Zero target and is expected to deliver around one-third of the total solar capacity required.
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Completion of construction is projected for 2028, with the installation of around 671,000 solar panels.
The Solomon project follows closely on the heels of the 190MW Cloudbreak solar farm, which is currently two-thirds finished.
Construction on another proposed facility, the 644MW solar farm at Turner River, is set to commence later this year.
Together with the existing 100MW North Star Junction solar farm, these projects aim to contribute around 1.3GW of solar capacity, which could power approximately 500,000 Australian homes annually.
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By GlobalDataIn a bid to diversify its renewable energy portfolio, Fortescue is concurrently advancing construction on the 133MW Nullagine Wind Farm.
Collectively, these initiatives represent one of Australia’s most significant renewable energy efforts by a heavy industry corporation.
Fortescue metals and operations CEO Dino Otranto said: “Across the Pilbara, we are using the region’s sun and wind to generate green power for our sites.
“We are 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.”
Fortescue is also enhancing infrastructure through its Pilbara Energy Connect initiative.
This involves extending high-voltage transmission lines, which currently span more than 480km across the Pilbara and are expected to reach more than 620km upon completion. This network will connect Fortescue’s energy assets with its operational sites and rail systems.
