Fortescue has installed its first large-scale battery energy storage system(BESS) at North Star Junction, marking a major breakthrough in the electrification of its Pilbara mining operations.
The large-scale renewable energy storage system
The new BESSsystem, consisting of 48 Blade battery containers from BYD, has a capacity of 250 MWh and can supply up to 50 MW for five continuous hours. It is also designed to store solar energy during the day and transfer it to the Pilbara Energy Connect (PEC) grid at night, replacing the use of diesel and gas.
Blade batteries are designed to operate safely in extreme environments such as the Pilbara. Fortescue has also highlighted this collaboration as an essential part of its mining decarbonization strategy, highlighting the performance, reliability and efficiency of the technology implemented.
In addition to supplying clean energy, the BESS system provides critical stability to the Fortescue power grid. This initiative is part of a larger plan that calls for 4 to 5 GWh of storage over the next few years, along with projects such as the 190 MW solar farm at Cloudbreak and the 120 MWh BESS facility at Eliwana by 2026.
A radical change in the way we energize our mines.
Dino Otranto, CEO of Fortescue Metals and Operations.
This project includes more than 460 kilometers of transmission lines constructed and reflects Fortescue’s steady transition to emission-free mining. emissions-free mining.. With this delivery, the company not only strengthens its environmental commitment, but also positions itself as a benchmark in the adoption of clean energy in the extractive sector.
Fortescue is leading one of the most ambitious decarbonization programs in the mining sector.
Yin Xueqin, BYD executive.
Source and photo: Fortescue