Fortescue’s 644-MW Pilbara Solar Hub Opens to Public Review Process

• Western Australia opens public consultation on Fortescue’s 644-MW Turner River Solar Hub; feedback will guide state and possible federal environmental review.

Western Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has invited comments on Fortescue Ltd’s proposed 644-MW Turner River Solar Hub, a vast PV array slated for the Pilbara that would supply renewable power to the mining giant’s iron-ore operations. Submissions lodged during the consultation window will help the EPA decide whether to refer the project to the Commonwealth under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, Australia’s primary federal‐level environmental law.

Project scope and location

The solar farm, to be built about 120 km south of Port Hedland on Kariyarra native-title land, encompasses panel fields, a new substation and 220-kV transmission spurs that would connect into Fortescue’s Pilbara Energy Connect network. The company’s generation arm, Pilbara Energy Generation, says construction will avoid areas of high ecological sensitivity and use existing haul-road corridors where possible to limit additional land disturbance.

Why the public comment matters

If the EPA determines that the solar hub could significantly impact matters of national environmental significance—such as threatened species habitats or Indigenous heritage—the authority must refer it to Canberra for further scrutiny. A federal review can add 12–18 months to the approvals timeline, so robust early feedback helps proponents address issues upfront and avoid costly redesigns later.

Net-zero ambitions drive investment

Fortescue has pledged to achieve “real zero” operational emissions by 2030. Replacing diesel-fired generation at its Pilbara mines with large-scale solar and storage is central to that goal, as is the parallel build-out of green-hydrogen assets through its energy arm, Fortescue Future Industries. The company’s renewables pipeline now exceeds 5 GW after earlier plans for the 5.4-GW Uaroo Renewable Energy Hub were shelved in favour of modular, site-specific projects like Turner River. 

Next steps

Public submissions can be made via the EPA’s website until the stated deadline, after which regulators will decide on the need for federal referral and set the level of environmental assessment. Should the project clear those hurdles, Fortescue expects to begin site works in 2026, bringing substantial local procurement and construction jobs to the Pilbara while cutting mine-site emissions for decades to come.