Fortescue (ASX:FMG) is working with Delta Electronics to introduce a range of smart technologies across its sites, aiming to reduce the company’s environmental footprint.
As Australia’s fuel market grapples with uncertainty brought on by conflict abroad, Fortescue has been pushing ahead to remove fossil fuels from its operations altogether, replacing them with renewable energy, predominantly solar.
Targeting completion in 2028, Fortescue’s Green Grid Project will pair 1.5 gigawatts of solar and 900 megawatts of wind with 5 gigawatt-hours of battery storage to power the company’s Pilbara operations in Western Australia.
At the same time, it will support the region’s growing energy needs while also closing the loop on Fortescue’s own energy supply and exposure to external market factors.
Speaking at the Delta Connect 2026 technology summit in Sydney, Fortescue Senior Manager of Decarbonisation Operations Zac Carlton says the company plans to eliminate scope one and two emissions from its Australian terrestrial iron ore operations.
“Its broader end-to-end energy ecosystem in the Pilbara begins with capturing solar and wind energy, saving it via battery energy storage systems (BESS) and then using it to power a range of smart electrified vehicles, automated equipment and machinery,” Carlton says.
Delta Electronics Australian Sales Director Steve Davis says Fortescue reflects a broader shift within the sector.
“Mining operators are moving from asking whether to decarbonise to asking how to do it profitably,” Davis says.
“Delta’s role is to make sure the energy infrastructure underneath that shift is ready to scale, wherever a mining business is starting from.”
The annual Delta Connect technology summit sees business leaders, technology experts, and policymakers come together to exchange ideas and address the opportunities and challenges transforming the nation’s economy.
Delta Connect will return in 2027 to provide another snapshot of current trends, while continuing to spark debate, foster relationships, and expand commercial horizons for Australia’s technology industry.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Main image: Delta Electronics
