Approval sought for upsized 70-GW renewables hub in Western Australia

Approval sought for upsized 70-GW renewables hub in Western Australia Source: seagul, Pixabay

The developers behind Western Green Energy Hub (WGEH), a massive wind and solar project that will support green hydrogen production, are seeking environmental approval for a 70-GW upgraded version of the scheme in Western Australia.

The international consortium developing the ambitious project has submitted its application to the state’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), official documents show.

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WGEN is being developed by InterContinental Energy, CWP Global and Mirning Traditional Lands Aboriginal Corporation, along with Korea Electric Power Corp (KRX:015760), or KEPCO, which joined in the summer of 2023.

Planned to be located in the Goldfields-Esperance region on Mirning Country, the huge complex will cover 2.29 million hectares (5.7 million acres) of pastoral leases and crown lands where up to 35 solar farms with 60 million photovoltaic (PV) modules and 3,000 wind turbines will be installed. The capacity will generate electricity to power electrolysers aimed at producing 3.5 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually. The green fuel will be supplied to the power generation, shipping fuel, minerals processing and manufacturing industries. Most of the output will be exported.

The project will be developed in seven stages, with construction works expected to take 30 years. In its earlier version, the renewable generation component was planned to be 50 GW.

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Veselina Petrova is one of Renewables Now's most experienced green energy writers. For more than a decade she has been keeping track of the renewable energy industry's development.

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