Fortescue has investigated options for a solar farm in the vicinity of the Solomon mining area, approximately 50 km north of Tom Price, as part of its planned decarbonisation.  The solar farm will connect to the greater regional network for reticulation around the Pilbara to meet energy demands across Fortescue’s mining operations.

FVC was commissioned to undertake a terrestrial fauna assessment of the Solomon Solar Central project area.  In the post-wet season of 2025, the FVC team undertook a basic fauna assessment in accordance with EPA Technical Guidance, supplemented by targeted surveys for potentially occurring conservation-significant fauna.  The species targeted were Northern Quoll, Greater Bilby, Ghost Bat, Pilbara Leaf-nosed Bat and the Western Pebble Mound Mouse.  The targeted survey methods included deployment of a suite of motion cameras and ultrasonic acoustic recorders as well as targeted on-ground searches for evidence of significant fauna such as scats, tracks, diggings, burrows and pebbles mounds.