Mining and green energy company Fortescue has begun construction of the 440 MW Solomon Airport solar project in the Pilbara, part of a plan to build 1.3 GW of solar capacity to power its mining operations and advance its 'Real Zero' emissions target.

The Solomon Airport development, which Fortescue says will be the largest solar project in Western Australia, will supply about one-third of the solar capacity needed for the company’s 2030 Australian iron-ore decarbonisation strategy.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2028, with about 671 000 solar panels to be installed.

The project follows the development of the 190 MW Cloudbreak solar farm, which is currently about two-thirds complete.

“Across the Pilbara, we are using the region’s sun and wind to generate green power for our sites," said Fortescue Metals and Operations CEO Dino Otranto.

“We are building the solar and wind farms, connecting them through our high-voltage transmission network and backing them with battery storage to provide 24/7 firm power.

“Importantly, each successive solar project is being delivered more efficiently than the last. As technology improves and we gain scale, our installed capital intensity continues to come down – strengthening the economics of replacing diesel and gas with renewable energy.”

A 644 MW solar farm planned for Turner River is expected to begin construction later this year.

Once operational, the Solomon Airport, Cloudbreak and Turner River projects, together with the existing 100 MW North Star Junction solar farm, will deliver about 1.3 GW of solar capacity across the Pilbara.

Fortescue is also constructing the 133 MW Nullagine wind farm to further expand its renewable-energy mix.

The company’s Pilbara Energy Connect initiative has already delivered more than 480 km of high-voltage transmission lines across the region, with the network expected to exceed 620 km once complete, linking Fortescue’s energy infrastructure with its operations and rail network.