Fortescue has completed delivery of its first large-scale BYD BESS to North Star Junction (NSJ), a major step in its drive to decarbonise Pilbara iron ore operations.
The NSJ installation is the opening stage of a planned 4–5GWh rollout of utility-scale storage, essential for cutting fossil fuel reliance across Fortescue’s energy supply. Using BYD’s Blade Battery technology, the system will capture renewable energy during daylight hours and feed green power into the Pilbara Energy Connect (PEC) network overnight.
The project consists of 48 storage containers, providing 250MWh of capacity and capable of delivering 50MW of output for up to five hours. Designed to stabilise the grid, the BYD BESS represents a significant move towards replacing diesel and gas generation with renewable sources.
Fortescue Metals and Operations chief executive officer, Dino Otranto, said, “This is a big moment for Fortescue – we’re fundamentally changing the way we power our mines. These systems let us store solar power and use it when we need it most, helping us cut diesel and gas and run our sites on renewable energy.”
BYD’s Blade Batteries are engineered for safety and reliability, with liquid cooling systems adapted to Pilbara conditions.
Further installations are planned, including a 120MWh system at Eliwana in 2026. Fortescue is also advancing its 190MW Cloudbreak Solar Farm and has already built over 460km of transmission lines for the PEC project.
