Mining giant Fortescue has commenced construction on a 650MWh battery energy storage system at Cloudbreak in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, alongside the 690MW Turner River solar PV power plant.
These projects form part of the company’s rapidly expanding “Pilbara Green Grid”, designed to power iron ore operations with renewable energy by 2030.
The Cloudbreak battery storage system will deliver 74MW of power output for approximately 8 hours and features 124 battery units co-located at the 190MW Cloudbreak solar PV plant. Completion is expected in FY27.
The Pilbara Green Grid, when complete by 2028, will feature 1.2GW of solar, 600MW of wind, 4-5GWh of battery storage and 620km of transmission lines.
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
Energy storage forms a key component in the development of the Pilbara Green Grid. Earlier this year, Fortescue claimed it had secured “record-low pricing” for large-scale battery storage in Australia.
As reported by Energy-Storage.news, the BESS was supplied by Chinese manufacturer BYD. BYD’s Blade Battery technology deployed at North Star Junction forms part of the company’s expanding portfolio of utility-scale storage solutions.
The company launched the 14.5MWh BESS system last year, demonstrating continued advancements in energy density and system integration capabilities that support large-scale industrial applications, such as Fortescue’s mining operations.
The company’s battery storage systems have demonstrated advanced grid-forming capabilities, with chairman Andrew Forrest revealing at the Smart Energy Conference earlier this month that AI-supported battery storage stabilised the mining grid during a recent disruption by reversing electron flow in nanoseconds.
Both the Cloudbreak and Turner River projects form part of Fortescue’s “Real Zero” decarbonisation plan, with Turner River seen as the final solar installation required to deliver the mining company’s renewable energy transition.
Construction of Turner River is expected to be completed in 2028, with over one million solar panels to be installed during the build.
Once operational, the facility will combine with Fortescue’s existing and under-construction solar assets, including the 440MW Solomon Airport solar PV plant, 190MW Cloudbreak solar PV plant, and 100MW North Star Junction solar PV plant, to deliver more than 1.4GW of renewable energy capacity.
The Turner River project, located approximately 120km south of Port Hedland on a 1,400-hectare site, received federal environmental approval in January 2026 under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
This was subject to conditions including limits on land clearing and a minimum payment of AU$3.39 million (US$2.43 million) to compensate for impacts on habitats of the Greater Bilby and Northern Quoll.
The facility will connect to Fortescue’s existing Pilbara Energy Connect transmission system via 220kV transmission line spurs.
Fortescue Metals and Operations CEO Dino Otranto said the company is moving ahead while others debate whether decarbonisation is possible.
“The technology is here. The economics are improving every year. And anyone watching global fuel markets can see exactly why electrification and renewable energy matter more than ever,” he said.
Fortescue has accelerated its decarbonisation timeline, bringing forward its “Real Zero” target from December 2030.
The company expects to complete 290MW of installed renewable energy capacity by early 2026 to meet the fixed energy requirements of its ore processing facilities, enabling daytime “green processing” across its Pilbara operations.
To read the full article, please visit PV Tech.
Interested in Australia? Read Energy-Storage.news’ Energy Storage Summit Australia coverage and related content.
