Fortescue’s giant solar hub skips past state hurdles, awaits federal ruling

A giant 644 megawatt solar project proposed by iron ore billionaire Andrew Forrest’s mining and green energy company Fortescue Metals has skipped past state environmental approvals, but may still have to go through federal review.

The Turner River solar hub is one of a number of renewable energy projects that make up Fortescue’s plans to build a multi-gigawatt renewable energy supply for its Pilbara operations – part of Forrest’s efforts to reach “real zero” emissions by 2030, rather than merely “net zero” emissions, which he describes as a “con”.

Plans for the solar hub have been forwarded to both the state Environmental Protection Authority and to the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water (DCCEEW).

The EPA has already decided that the project does not need to be assessed under its Environmental Protection Act, while the federal authority is seeking feedback on whether the project should be referred for assessment under the EPBC Act.

The Turner River project will be located around 120km south of Port Hedland in Western Australia, and about 25kms from its North Star magnetite mine, and include an unspecified battery and some transition lines.

The company says it looked at other options, such as gas fired generation which has powered the bulk of the giant iron ore province, including operations from Fortescue, Hancock, BHP and Rio Tinto, but decided that was too expensive, and it emitted greenhouse gases.

Fortescue wants to reach real zero at its Pilbara operations by the end of the decade, which means burning no gas or diesel for terrestrial transport or mining operations.

It has signed a $4 billion deal to source giant electric haul trucks and other mining equipment, and is currently building a 190 MW solar farm at the Cloudbreak mine, following the completion last year of the 100 MW North star solar farm. It also buys power from the 60 MW Chichester solar farm from APA Group.

Earlier this month, Fortescue also unveiled plans for a 2.1 gigawatt wind project, which would be the biggest in the country, featuring giant “self lifting” turbines made by Nabrawind, in which Fortescue has an undisclosed investment.

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