Milestone for renewable energy to power iron ore port

A WA solar farm and battery energy storage system will power BHP's iron ore port facilities. (Supplied/AAP PHOTOS)

Australia's iron ore exports are a step closer to a smaller carbon footprint with a renewable energy project to help power a vital port.

Energy group APA and mining giant BHP on Tuesday officially opened the Port Hedland Solar and Battery Project, which combines a 45-megawatt solar farm and a 36.7 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).

In a first for Australia, the project - located more than 1500km north of Perth in the nation's most cyclone-prone region - is equipped with almost 120,000 solar panels built to withstand winds up to 288km/h.

Energy group APA and mining giant BHP have opened the Port Hedland Solar and Battery Project.

The solar farm and battery project shows "we can get good stuff done", APA chief executive Adam Watson told AAP.

Part of a "pit to port" strategy, the Port Hedland project was a tangible example of how to decarbonise energy systems in the region, particularly to replace diesel with a lower-cost option, Mr Watson said.

"We've done that successfully in areas like Mt Isa in Queensland and other remote regions around Australia," he said.

Port Hedland is a vital hub for exporting Western Australia's mineral wealth, including the 24/7 production of iron ore.

The investment required to decarbonise the minerals-rich Pilbara region alone is estimated at $15 billion, including APA's pipeline of $3 billion-plus of projects.

But whether on the east or west coast, Mr Watson said replacing coal and diesel with renewables was challenging and batteries played an important role in smoothing out the variability in power generation.

After acquiring Alinta Energy's Pilbara assets a year ago, he said the company would be bringing more solar and wind generation to the region to further reduce the cost of baseload power.

BHP's WA iron ore president Tim Day said the solar farm was expected to provide most of the daytime energy needs of the company's huge port facilities in Port Hedland.

APA Group's 45MW solar farm and 36.7MWh battery energy storage system
The project combines a 45-megawatt solar farm and a 36.7 MWh battery energy storage system.

The WA government provided $1.5 million for the BESS to replace a so-called spinning reserve provided by APA's Port Hedland gas-fired power station, with energy stored in the battery to provide instant support to the grid when needed.

Under construction since 2023, the Port Hedland solar and battery assets that connect to APA's gas-fired power station are complete, along with a switch yard and connection to the North West Interconnected System.

Far from the national electricity grid, the Pilbara system has various interconnected electricity networks with different owners including Horizon Power and Rio Tinto.

Other large mining companies, including Roy Hill and Fortescue, own major energy infrastructure that powers their operations.

APA was also named on Tuesday as a preferred proponent for building transmission in the Hamersley Range Corridor, home to the state's iron ore industry.

Designated a priority project by the state, Hamersley is in line for concessional financing from WA's allocation of up to $3 billion under the federal government's Rewiring the Nation project.

"It's a critical piece of transmission infrastructure which connects Port Hedland all the way down to Newman to effectively support all the activities in between with renewable power generation," Mr Watson said.

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store