Fortescue plans giant 2.1-gigawatt wind farm in Pilbara

Andrew Forrest's miner Fortescue is seeking environmental approval to install up to 200 wind turbines near Marble Bar to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 1.5 million tonnes a year.

The wind power will support Fortescue cutting its emissions by about 70 per cent, so it is essential if the company is to meet its ambitious goal of zero emissions by 2030 set by chair Andrew Forrest.

The site, located south-east of Marble Bar, was chosen because it is a large, remote area with high and consistent wind speeds, low vegetation cover, road access, and near Fortescue's existing operations and power grid.

In a submission to the WA Environmental Protection Authority published on Friday the iron ore miner said it opted for wind instead of solar power as it offered 24-hour generation and required less vegetation clearing.

The miner is considering various types of foundation for the wind turbines that will have tips as high as 290m. One option is a Nabrawind self-erecting tower with a framed bottom section that requires much less concrete.

Up to five substations with battery storage will be built, and a 220kV transmission line will take the power to Fortescue's Iron Bridge mine 110km to the west.

Fortescue expects to receive environmental approval in late 2026 and take 32 months to construct the wind farm, indicating a startup around mid-2029. However, elsewhere in the approval documents, a 42-month construction period is mentioned.

The miner will build a 1000-person construction camp and have accommodation for up to 100 workers during operations. It expects the wind farm to operate for 25 to 30 years, but with equipment replacement, it could operate indefinitely.

Fortescue began consulting with the native title holder, the Nyamal people, in early 2023.