Fortescue begins construction on 440MW Pilbara solar farm as renewables portfolio scales

Fortescue has commenced construction on the 440MW Solomon solar farm in Western Australia's Pilbara region, set to become the state's largest solar development. The project is part of a 1.3GW solar cluster under development, alongside transmission network expansion, supporting the company's Real Zero decarbonisation target.

Fortescue has started construction on the 440MW Solomon solar farm in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, which will become the state's largest solar development upon completion, according to an official announcement. The project will install approximately 671,000 solar panels, with completion expected in 2028. It follows the 190MW Cloudbreak solar farm, which is approximately two-thirds complete. Fortescue is a global green energy and metals company, operating iron ore mining and renewable energy assets across Australia.

The Solomon project will deliver approximately one-third of the solar capacity required for Fortescue's Real Zero Target, which aims to eliminate diesel and natural gas use across its operations. The Solomon, Cloudbreak, and proposed 644MW Turner River projects, together with the existing 100MW North Star Junction solar farm, will deliver approximately 1.3GW of solar capacity. Construction is also underway on the 133MW Nullagine Wind Farm. The projects are being linked through Fortescue's Pilbara Energy Connect transmission network, which has already constructed over 480 kilometres of high-voltage lines, planned to extend beyond 620 kilometres.

This development matters for Australia's mining and renewable energy sectors, representing one of the largest renewable energy deployments by heavy industry in the country. For the resources industry, the integration of large-scale renewables with transmission and battery storage demonstrates a pathway for decarbonising remote mining operations. The economics are strengthened by declining capital intensity as successive projects benefit from scale and technology improvements. Stakeholders including engineering contractors, renewable equipment suppliers, and transmission infrastructure providers stand to benefit from the project pipeline. The network infrastructure also creates potential for third-party access to renewable energy in the Pilbara region, which hosts significant mining and industrial operations.