Australian iron ore producer Fortescue Metals Group has announced the start of construction of a 690 MW Turner River solar farm in Western Australia's Pilbara region and a 650 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) at its Cloudbreak mine.
The projects are part of Fortescue's Pilbara Green Grid, an integrated renewable energy network designed to supply mining companies with low-carbon electricity. and support the Real Zero decarbonization strategy.
Renewable energy capacity will exceed 1.4 GW
Once the Turner River project is completed and integrated with the company's existing solar assets at Solomon Airport, Cloudbreak and North Star Junction, Fortescue expects to have all solar capacity installed generation required to achieve the Real Zero target at all onshore iron ore mining operations
.The total renewable generation capacity will exceed 1.4 GW, which is equivalent to the annual electricity demand of approximately 500,000 Australian households. The Turner River Solar Facility is expected to be completed in 2028 and will include the installation of more than one million solar panels.
Cloudbreak Battery Project to Improve Grid Stability
The Cloudbreak Battery Facility is scheduled for completion in fiscal year 2027. The project will provide 650 MW of energy storage capacity, 74 MW of power output, up to eight hours of power supply and 124 batteries. units integrated with on-site solar installation.
Fortescue recently commissioned additional battery storage systems at Eliwan and North Star Junction to improve the reliability of renewable energy across its operations.
Electrification of the mining fleet is gaining momentum
Along with renewable energy generation, Fortescue continues to accelerate the electrification of its mining equipment fleet. The company currently has 16 electric excavators and one electric drill. Around half of Fortescue's excavator fleet is expected to be electric by the end of 2026. The company also expects its first battery-powered truck to enter commercial service before the end of this year.
Fortescue is also close to completing tests on several quarry
