Approval fast tracked for first of huge solar and wind projects to power giant iron ore mines

The Western Australian state government has fast-tracked approval for a 150 megawatt (MW) solar project, the first of at least 3 gigawatts (GW) of wind, solar and storage projects that it hopes to approve under new rules designed to accelerate its green energy transition.

The initial 150 MW solar project in the Pilbara, home to the country’s massive iron ore mines, has been proposed by the Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation, an indigenous company that last July announced it had teamed up with Acen Australia.

State energy minister Reece Whitby says the environmental approval – the first to be given under the government’s new Green Energy Approvals Initiative – are the first step in what could become one of the country’s biggest renewable energy developments.

“I want to see Western Australia become a renewable energy powerhouse, so it is critical we cut red tape and get clean energy projects online without unnecessary delays,” Whitby said in a statement issued over the weekend.

“Yindjibarndi’s proposals are exactly what our Government wants to see more of in WA.

“With the potential to decarbonise our State’s energy systems, create On Country jobs for Aboriginal Australians, and support renewable energy uptake by industry in the Pilbara, I look forward to seeing Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation’s proposals come to fruition.”

The Yindjibarndi agreement with Acen is to build up to 3 GW of wind, solar and storage projects to service the giant Pilbara mines. Significantly more will be needed given the sheer scale of the operations there, the shift to electrification and the opportunities in green hydrogen.

The Yindjibarndi’s first big customer is likely to be mining giant Rio Tinto, which last October signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for projects on Yindjibarndi country to explore wind, solar and battery energy storage systems.

The Yindjibarndi land is close to Rio Tinto’s power lines and Rio Tinto is in the market for at least 750 MW of renewable and storage capacity to reduce, or even replace, its current dependence on expensive gas and diesel power, and to support the electrification of its mining sites and equipment.

Rio Tinto is also looking to switch out coal fired power supplies for its big smelters and refineries in Queensland and NSW, and replace them with contracts for wind, solar and dispatchable generation. It has already signed deals for two gigawatt scale wind and solar projects in Queensland, and has started a similar tender in NSW.

The Pilbara iron ore region – which has delivered billions of dollars of wealth to the likes of Rio Tinto, BHP, Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue Metals and Gina Rinehart’s Roy Hill – is embarking on a massive green energy transition.

The iron ore giants – at least most of them, given the extent of the involvement of the anti-renewable Rinehart’s operations is not clear – are looking to invest billions in wind, solar and storage, including a new agreement to link their respective networks and pool their renewable and storage resources.

A recent report by APA group suggested that the amount of renewables would grow 40-fold in the Pilbara region out to 2040, representing a $15 billion investment to decarbonise one of the world’s richest mining provinces. Forrest wants Fortescue to reach “real zero” emissions in the Pilbara by 2030.

The Yindjibarndi group, however, has been at loggerheads with Fortescue, and is engaged in a lengthy court battle over royalties from that company’s Solomon iron ore mining hub, which it claimed was built without traditional owner permission.

Whitby says the YEC projects could play a significant role decarbonising WA, creating sustainable, long-term training and employment opportunities for Aboriginal Australians, and supporting renewable energy uptake by industry in the Pilbara.

The Green Energy Approvals Initiative is designed to drive investment in wind and solar power generation, renewable hydrogen industries, lithium mining, and critical minerals processing, as well as the manufacturing of batteries, electrolysers, solar panels, and wind turbines.