Australian mining giant Fortescue Metals Group announced today (16 April) that it has started construction on a 190MW solar PV plant at its Cloudbreak site in Western Australia.
The solar PV plant will be located in the mineral-rich Pilbara region, on the state’s north-western coast, and is part of Fortescue’s efforts to decarbonise the Chichester Hub, which produces 40 million tonnes of iron ore per year.
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Fortescue’s Chichester hub is already partially powered by a 60MW solar PV power plant, and the new 190MW PV plant is set to help the company reach zero diesel emissions by 2030. It is expected to be fully completed in the 2027 financial year.
The Cloudbreak site is also home to Australia’s first airstrip whose lighting is fully powered by solar PV.
The mining giant also confirmed that its 100MW North Star Junction solar PV power plant in the Pilbara is now fully operational. It is located near Iron Bridge, an iron ore mine with an annual production capacity of around 100 million tonnes.
Fortescue recently took to LinkedIn to tease the upcoming development of the 640MW Turner River solar project, which it claims will become Western Australia’s largest green energy initiative. PV Tech reported in March 2025 that the project had been submitted to the state Environmental Protection Authority for approval.
According to planning documents, the PV plant will be split into two parts: a 456MW component and a 188MW part. The final design has not yet been completed.
Fortescue targets ‘real zero’ by 2030
Fortescue is owned by Dr Andrew Forrest, one of Australia’s wealthiest people who made his fortune through the mining industry. Forrest also advocates for the energy transition and has committed his business to achieving ‘real zero’ in a swipe at net zero targets, which he says includes “scams”, such as carbon credits or carbon offsetting.
Instead, the business aims to eliminate all of its emissions and help build the technologies needed to reach ‘real zero’ around the globe.
Indeed, solar PV, wind and green hydrogen have all been noted as critical technologies in the business’ real zero strategy. The organisation said in last year’s financial results that detailed power system modelling suggests that it will need at least 2-3GW of wind and solar, supported by battery storage, to satisfy its energy needs.
Fortescue’s decarbonisation of mining operations could also see the group seize the economic opportunity presented by green metals. Fortescue aims to capitalise on this opportunity, having said that China has an “insatiable demand for green products” when discussing green metals production and exports.
Dino Otranto, CEO of Fortescue Metals, said last year that “Australia is uniquely positioned for its next boom beyond commodities, but green commodities”, emphasising that this is why the organisation is putting “so much effort” into its Green Iron Plant, situated in Christmas Creek, Western Australia.
PV Tech explored the green metals opportunity in Australia and how solar PV will play an integral role in the latest edition of PV Tech Power, which is available now.
