Fortescue commences construction of Western Australia's largest solar farm

Construction has commenced on Fortescue’s 440MW Solomon Airport solar farm, which will become Western Australia’s largest solar development once complete.

Located in the Pilbara, the project will deliver around one-third of the total solar capacity required for Fortescue to achieve its Real Zero Target. Construction is expected to be completed in 2028, with approximately 671,000 solar panels to be installed during the build.

The project follows construction of the 190MW Cloudbreak solar farm, which is around two-thirds complete.

Fortescue Metals and Operations Chief Executive Officer, 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.”

A proposed 644MW solar farm at Turner River is anticipated to commence construction later this year. Once operational, the Solomon, Cloudbreak and Turner River projects – together with the existing 100MW North Star Junction solar farm – will deliver around 1.3GW of solar capacity. This is equivalent to powering around half a million Australian homes each year.

Construction is also underway on the 133MW Nullagine Wind Farm, further diversifying Fortescue’s renewable energy mix.

Together, these projects represent one of the largest renewable energy deployments by any heavy industry company in Australia.

Through Pilbara Energy Connect, Fortescue has already constructed more than 480 kilometres of 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.