The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will invest up to A$45 million in Fortescue’s Solar Innovation Hub in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, aiming to lower the levelised cost of utility-scale solar power and accelerate its large-scale deployment.
The Hub will act as a 500-megawatt test bed for new solar technologies within Fortescue’s planned 1.5-gigawatt solar PV development pipeline. It will trial up to 10 projects under a single funding agreement, testing a range of innovations to reduce costs, demonstrate technical and commercial feasibility, and share outcomes across the renewable energy industry.
ARENA Chief Executive Officer Darren Miller said the initiative represents a new model for collaborative investment and aligns with ARENA’s Ultra Low-Cost Solar (ULCS) vision.
“Solar PV deployment is evolving as we find new ways to reduce costs, streamline logistics and adapt to challenging environmental conditions,” Miller said.
“These advances are helping to lower the levelised cost of energy and improve commercial viability for the heavy industrial and hard-to-abate sectors. The Solar Innovation Hub gives us a unique platform to accelerate innovation and collaboration in real-world settings.”
Two pilot projects are already underway. The first, in partnership with Built Robotics, has successfully trialled automated pile-driving technology at Fortescue’s Cloudbreak Solar Farm, showcasing how robotics can improve safety and efficiency in large-scale construction. The second, with Australian company 5B, will test its Maverick rapid-deployment solar technology from early 2026. Both projects are being assessed for potential scale-up in future development stages.
The Hub is expected to produce critical insights into cost drivers, technology performance and pathways to commercialisation, supporting broader industry goals of expanding solar adoption in remote and industrial environments.
Fortescue CEO, Metals and Operations, Dino Otranto, said the partnership highlights Fortescue’s commitment to advancing renewable energy solutions at scale.
“Working with ARENA is a strong endorsement of our efforts to pioneer green energy technologies. The Solar Innovation Hub will allow us to trial and refine systems that improve safety, speed up delivery and cut costs — helping both Fortescue and Australia accelerate the clean energy transition,” he said.
The project contributes to ARENA’s ULCS 2030 target of achieving 30% module efficiency at an installed cost of A$0.30 per watt, which could bring the levelised cost of energy below A$20 per megawatt hour — roughly one-third of today’s cost.
Looking beyond 2030, ARENA’s research aims to drive further cost reductions through to 2040, supporting its long-term goal of reaching 1 terawatt of installed solar PV capacity in Australia by 2050.
