Cyclone resistant Port Hedland solar and big battery opened to provide power to BHP port facility

The first big solar and big battery project in the Pilbara has been officially opened by developer APA Group and its major customer BHP, in a major milestone towards the decarbonisation of one of Australia’s biggest mining provinces and economic hubs.

The Port Hedland Solar and Battery Project comprises a 45 MW solar PV facility and a 36.7 MWh battery energy storage system. They are located next to the existing Port Hedland gas fired power station and will provide power to BHP’s iron ore port facilities.

APA says the solar farm has been designed to withstand sustained wind speeds of 80 metres a second, or 288km/hr, which it says is a first in the Australian market.

It says the installation of solar farms inland is common – including at the 60 MMW Chichester solar farm that it built for Fortescue mines – but coastal solar has not been developed because of the concerns around extreme wind speeds associated with the cyclones that are prevalent in the region.

The Port Hedland solar farm includes 32,000 steel piles that have been driven 2.2 metres into the ground, steel cross-sections up to 4mm thick, and panels set at a 10-degree tilt to reduce wind forces.

It says the structure is secured with 3.2 million bolts, with the design and equipment rigorously calculated and tested to ensure it is cyclone resistant.

Mosts of the major mining groups in the Pilbara – Fortescue, BHP and Rio Tinto – have programs to cut their reliance on gas and diesel by building solar and wind projects, installing big batteries and switching to electric transport and haul trucks.

Fortescue has the most ambitious target of reaching real zero emissions by 2030 – which means burning on gas or diesel for its Pilbara iron ore operations – while wind and solar critic Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Mining has the least ambition.

“We are thrilled to partner with BHP in the delivery of this important project. To achieve our nation’s emissions reduction ambition, it is essential that we have a plan for decarbonisation across the resources sector,” said APA CEO and managing director Adam Watson .

“This project demonstrates how solar, battery and gas-powered generation can be sewn together to successfully transition remote mining operations.”

APA recently bought the Pilbara operations of Alinta Energy, which built the first big battery in the Pilbara, next to the Newman gas fired generator, where it acts as an emergency back-up, meaning the normally required back-up gas units can be switched off.

Watson estimates that $15 billion of investments will be needed to decarbonise the Pilbara region alone and APA has a pipeline of $3 billion of projects.

The purchase of the Alinta assets includes its transmission network in the Pilbara, and on Tuesday the state government announced it had given priority status to two new links, including one that will connect Port Hedland and Newman. It’s part of the push to create a new region-wide network that can share renewable output.

The head of BHP’s iron ore operations in Western Australia, Tim Day, said the solar farm – which will be fully commissioned early next year – is expected to provide most of the daytime energy needs of the company’s  port facilities in Port Hedland.

“This power purchase agreement is a step forward on BHP’s global pathway to decarbonisation, and it will also play an important role in the renewable energy future of the Pilbara,” he said.

“From electrifying mining equipment and switching to renewable power sources like this, to partnering with the shipping industry and steelmakers to help them reduce their emissions, it’s all about doing our part for the global decarbonisation effort.”

Construction of the Port Hedland solar and battery project commenced in 2023. It received $1.5 million in funding for the battery component from the state government as part of its Clean Energy Future Fund (CEFF).

Like the Newman battery, the Port Hedland battery replaces spinning reserve provided by the gas-fired power station, with energy stored in the battery to provide instant support to the grid when needed.