Fortescue is currently awaiting approval for what could become the largest green energy project Western Australia has ever seen.
The iron ore giant has submitted a proposal to the WA Environmental Protection Agency for the construction and operation of a renewable energy solar generation hub that will power the company’s mining operations in the Pilbara region.
To be located approximately 120km south of Port Hedland, the prospective Turner River Solar Hub comprises the installation of solar panels and substation with an estimated total capacity of 644 megawatts (MW) and 220 kilovolt transmission line spurs connecting the hub to Fortescue’s existing Pilbara Energy Connect (PEC) transmission system.
The largest solar farm currently operating in WA is Merredin, located approximately 260km east of Perth in the central Wheatbelt region, which has a generation capacity of 100MW.
Fortescue’s plans also include supporting infrastructure such as roads and corridors for overhead electrical reticulation.
Electricity from Turner River will be exported to the Fortescue integrated electricity network by connecting into the company’s PEC North Star Junction substation being constructed as part of the Pilbara Transmission Project, which is part of Fortescue’s aim to achieve ’real zero’ by 2030.
The PEC North Star Junction completed its first phase last year and is expected to be up and running at full capacity by 2030.
Turner River will supply electricity to Fortescue’s Pilbara operations, which includes Chichester Hub (comprising the flagship Cloudbreak and Christmas Creek mines), Iron Bridge, Solomon and Eilwana.
Last year, the company shipped 191.6 million tonnes of iron ore from its Pilbara operations.
The Turner River proposal has now entered a stage of open consultation until April 3 2025.
