Mega green energy project set to drive Australia's hydrogen ambitions
The WA Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is reviewing a planned 70 GW wind and solar hub that aims to produce green hydrogen and ammonia, powered by vast renewable resources in the desert of Western Australia.
InterContinental Energy, CWP Global, and Mirning Green Energy Limited (MGEL) have formally applied for state environmental approval to build the Western Green Energy Hub (WGEH), a massive renewable energy project in southeastern Western Australia.
Set to span 2.29 million hectares across pastoral leases and crown lands, the project is designed to produce green hydrogen and ammonia, with an upgraded target of 70 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity—matching the scale of Australia’s main electricity grid.
If approved, the WGEH is to be developed in stages over three decades, and will include 3,000 wind turbines, some reaching capacities of up to 20 megawatts, alongside six million solar panels. When fully operational, it is expected to produce 3.5 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually, with the output supporting domestic and international markets.
The project's hydrogen facilities will include centrally located electrolysers and green ammonia production facilities, along with the necessary electrical infrastructure, pumping and cooling systems, data centres, and fabrication workshops.
The coastal elements of the project feature a marine offloading facility,
desalination plant, brine pipeline, and an export pipeline dedicated to
transporting ammonia or other hydrogen carriers to offshore markets. A
large-scale worker village is also planned, expected to accommodate around
8,000 people.
MGEL, a commercial branch of the Mirning Traditional Lands Aboriginal Corporation (MTLAC), is a partner in the project, reflecting a collaboration between local Indigenous stakeholders and established renewable energy firms.
The consortium’s other partners, InterContinental Energy and CWP Global, have previously worked together on the Australian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH) in the Pilbara, which is focused on electricity generation for local industries and mining projects. While AREH is more centred on electricity supply, WGEH will be fully committed to hydrogen and ammonia production.
WGEH will located on Western Australia’s Mirning Native Title land, near the South Australian border, stretching from north of the Eyre Highway to south of the Trans-Australian Railway and extending northwest from Eucla to Cocklebiddy. As the largest wind and solar project of its kind, it represents an opportunity to expand green fuel production and reduce approximately 22 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions each year, generating over 200 terawatt-hours of renewable electricity.
