Fortescue equipped with 42 MW of BESS to back Aussie iron ore mining

Hybrid Systems Australia, a subsidiary of Perth-based power generator Pacific Energy, brought online 42 MW of battery systems to back the operations of iron ore giant Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX:FMG) in Pilbara, Western Australia.

The two units create Western Australia’s largest network-integrated battery energy storage system (BESS), renewables developer Hybrid Systems said on Wednesday. The company was in charge of the design, installation and commissioning of the project. Hitachi Energy and Kokam, part of Israel’s SolarEdge Technologies, served as technology providers.

The facilities will supply power to Fortescue’s new Iron Bridge operations and will store electricity from a planned 150-MW solar farm to be built nearby. Their major role will be to stabilise the grid and provide spinning reserve backup during gas generation outages or sudden changes in the solar output, Hybrid Systems explained.

The two battery systems were installed as part of Fortescue’s Pilbara Energy Connect project, which aims to green the miner’s iron ore activities in the Pilbara region and help it eliminate the use of fossil fuels by 2030.

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