BHP claims the benefits of $300 million solar farm and a battery system in the Pilbara will be realised through a larger renewables plan, amid outcry over the project’s scrapping.
BHP claims the benefits of $300 million solar farm and a battery system in the Pilbara will be realised through a larger renewables plan, amid outcry over the project’s scrapping.
On Tuesday, the ABC reported that the company had walked away from its plan to build solar at Jimblebar supported by a battery in Newman, citing internal documents it had viewed.
The news prompted criticism from environmental group and a reported rebuke by Premier Roger Cook, who urged BHP and Rio Tinto to stay the course on decarbonisation a day after announcing major approvals reform designed to cut red tape for industry.
In response to questions over the project's status, BHP, which last year launched the Port Hedland solar and battery project alongside APA Group, said the solar power plan had been incorporated into a larger regional plan.
“The previously proposed inland solar project has been incorporated into a much larger solar, wind and battery option that aligns with the step up in demand that the electrification of our mines will bring,” BHP vice-president operational decarbonisation minerals Australia Dan Heal said.
“Studies are well under way on this.”
No timeframe was provided for the larger solar, wind and battery system.
BHP has set a target to reduce its scope one and two emissions by 30 per cent in 2030, relative to a 2020 baseline. It achieved a 36 per cent reduction against the benchmark last financial year.
BHP said it remained committed to achieving the target but noted that progress had slowed on the electrification of equipment required to replace diesel at its operations.
“Electrification remains our preferred pathway to displace the use of diesel in our operations, [which are] our largest source of operational greenhouse gas emissions in the Pilbara. However the pace of development of some decarbonisation technology has slowed,” Mr Heal said.
“We are working closely with the original equipment manufacturers of this technology and look forward to commencing trials including battery electric haul trucks and locomotives at our Western Australian operations in the coming months.”
BHP’s set a target of spending up to $US4 billion on operational decarbonisation – including electric equipment – over the 10 years to the end of FY2030 in its climate transition action plan.
But delays in the development of critical technology, including electric mining vehicles, are understood to have pushed that target back into the 2030s.
BHP said more than 70 per cent of its electricity demand globally was now drawn from renewable sources.
The decarbonisation of the Pilbara is a priority for government, with the region emitting around 40 per cent of the state’s carbon emissions but generating 20 per cent of its economic output.
A network of common-use transmission infrastructure is being planned to connect renewable projects in the region in the hope of supporting industrial renewable adoption while avoiding unnecessary duplication.
