Fortescue breaks ground on 190MW solar PV plant in Western Australia, eyes ‘real zero’ by 2030

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The project will be located in the mineral-rich region of Pilbara in Western Australia. Image: Fortescue via LinkedIn.

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.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

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.

Read Next

May 20, 2025
Australia’s Victoria government has proposed seven REZ for the state, emphasising these will help achieve its target of 2.7GW of utility-scale solar PV generation by 2040.
May 19, 2025
Lithuanian government-owned utility and renewables developer Ignitis Group has signed a financing deal with SwedBank to support 239MW of solar PV capacity in Latvia.
May 19, 2025
Swedish solar developer OX2 has received development consent from the New South Wales government in Australia for a 90MW solar-plus-storage project.
May 19, 2025
New data released by Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator (CER) has noted that 553MW of capacity was approved in the NEM in April.
May 18, 2025
Developer Elgin Energy has secured grid connection approval from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) for a 150MW solar-plus-storage site in Victoria.
May 16, 2025
Sungrow has signed a supply agreement with Indian independent power producer (IPP) Juniper Green Energy to provide 835MW of its inverters.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
May 21, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
June 17, 2025
Napa, USA
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 8, 2025
Asia