ARENA and Fortescue drive renewable energy innovation

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing $45m in funding for the development of a Pilbara solar innovation hub with Fortescue (ASX: FMG).

The funding, from the advancing renewables program, will facilitate a first-of-its-kind initiative, operating across Fortescue’s growing renewable energy portfolio, to trial emerging technologies and reduce the cost of renewable energy generation.

Through the hub, Fortescue will select and test a suite of new technologies aimed at improving safety, reducing costs and accelerating large-scale solar deployment including automation, advanced materials and next-generation solar construction techniques to accelerate Australia’s energy transition.

Fortescue metals and operations chief executive Dino Otranto says this opportunity to work with ARENA is a strong endorsement of Fortescue’s commitment to pioneering renewable energy solutions at scale.

“The solar innovation hub will allow us to trial and refine new technologies that improve safety, speed up delivery and drive down costs — helping us and Australia accelerate the transition to green energy,” he said.

One of the first projects supported under the hub is a technology trial with Built Robotics, testing autonomous piling systems that could transform how solar farms are constructed in remote environments.

The trial at the 190MW Cloudbreak solar farm will see robotic systems install more than 1200 solar piles, aiming to improve installation speed and consistency while reducing labour constraints in the Pilbara’s challenging conditions.

“The Cloudbreak solar farm demonstrates our ability to integrate renewables into our mining operations, building on the 100MW solar farm we commissioned at Iron Bridge last year,” Mr Otranto said.

“The lessons we’re learning at the solar innovation hub through trialling automation and new modular solar solutions, will shape the future of our solar pipeline.”

Fortescue is also progressing work with Australian-based solar company 5B to trial its prefabricated Maverick system — a modular solar solution designed for rapid deployment and reduced labour requirements.

The trial will assess the system’s performance in the Pilbara’s remote high-temperature environment and confirm its potential to deliver fast, cost-effective renewable energy installations.

ARENA chief executive Darren Miller says the hub is a groundbreaking initiative that will help drive down the cost of solar energy in line with ARENA’s ultra low-cost solar vision, while paving the way for future innovations in the renewable energy sector.

“Solar PV deployment is evolving as we find new ways to reduce costs, streamline logistics and adapt to challenging environmental conditions,” he said.

“These advances are helping to lower the levelised cost of energy (LCOE) and improve commercial viability for the heavy industrial and hard to abate sectors.”