Fortescue seeks EPBC Act approval for 644MW solar PV plant in Western Australia

May 27, 2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The project is part of Fortescue’s ambition to achieve “real zero” by 2030. Image: Fortescue.

Fortescue Metals Group, an Australian mining giant, has submitted plans for its 644MW Turner River Solar Hub in Western Australia to the federal government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

The solar PV power plant, which would be developed in the mineral-rich Pilbara region of Western Australia, would power some of the company’s mining operations as part of its mission to achieve “real zero” by 2030.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

According to documents submitted as part of the EPBC Act application, the PV power plant would feature modules mounted onto a tracking system that would either be fixed or tilted around 0.1m – 4m above ground level.

The modules would be arranged in rows, with access racks between them, to help ongoing maintenance teams access the power plant. The overall development will cover around 1,108 hectares of land.

The application also includes developing a co-located battery energy storage system (BESS), the size of which has not been disclosed.

If approved, the project would have a lifespan of 25-30 years and would either be repowered or decommissioned at the end of its life.

Turner River is being proposed approximately 120km south of Port Hedland and would connect to Fortescue’s existing Pilbara Energy Connect (PEC) transmission system.

The PEC initiative aims to establish a renewable energy ecosystem in the Pilbara by integrating solar PV plants, wind installations, BESS and a 750km transmission network to power the company’s iron ore operations.

Fortescue said the Turner River solar PV plant will complement the existing 100MW solar PV project at North Star Junction, which was completed in the 2024 financial year, and the 60MW solar PV project at the Chichester Solar Gas Hybrid Facility, commissioned in 2021.

Both of these projects are a part of the company’s broader aim to decarbonise the Iron Bridge magnetite mine. Iron Bridge, located 25km west of the Turner River proposal, produces a wet concentrate product that is transported to Port Hedland through a 135km specialist slurry pipeline, where dewatering and materials handling occur.

Fortescue aims to fully decarbonise its operations by 2030. The organisation said that by the end of the calendar year 2030, 100% of its electricity demand will be met by renewable energy sources.

It added that detailed power system modelling suggests it will need at least 2-3GW of wind and solar, supported by battery storage, to satisfy its energy needs.

Read Next

October 29, 2025
French firms TotalEnergies and EDF, with local partners, secured contracts for 400MW and 600MW solar projects in Saudi Arabia, supporting Vision 2030 renewable goals.
October 28, 2025
GreenYellow plans to invest US$116 million in Poland over the next three years to expand its installed capacity and customer base.
October 28, 2025
GoldenPeaks Capital secures EUR114 million (US$132 million) financing package for two solar PV Portfolio in Poland.
October 28, 2025
Chinese solar inverter producer GoodWe has launched a new “low noise, low weight” string inverter for the European corporate & industrial solar market.
October 28, 2025
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) Australia has announced the development of a 210MWdc solar project in New Zealand's Rangitikei District.
October 27, 2025
Chinese engineering firm Shanghai Electric has signed an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract with independent power producer (IPP) Econergy to build a 342MW solar PV plant in Romania.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
November 12, 2025
10am PST / 1pm EST
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 10, 2026
Frankfurt, Germany