WA renewable energy hubs to boost Australia’s hydrogen exports

A RENEWABLE energy project aimed at boosting Australia’s position as a green energy exporter could see two new hydrogen hubs built in Western Australia.

Renewable energy company CWP Global is working to build a 26GW wind-and-solar-to-hydrogen Asian Renewable Energy Hub in the Pilbara region.

According to Austrade, the AREH will demonstrate how the nation’s natural resources and strategic location can contribute to what it describes as the “global hydrogen revolution”.  

CWP development director Andrew Dickson said work on the AREH has been advancing well since the company commenced work on it in 2014.

“The concept is to harness the massive renewable energy potential of large coastal desert sites, with complementary wind and solar resources,” Mr Dickson said.

“Night-time wind with day-time solar can deliver a huge amount of steady power to electrolysers to produce green hydrogen and its derivatives, such as green ammonia.”

He said one of the important factors behind the project is the Pilbara’s position as a major iron ore mining region.

“The energy from our project, whether it’s captured as electrons, or hydrogen or ammonia molecules, can help to decarbonise existing mining operations,” he said.

“There’s also the potential to use green ammonia fuels to power ships that export iron ore. This creates the conditions for new green shipping corridors to key export markets.”

Austrade said the project will be built in phases, with 2028 set as the current target date for the first hydrogen exports.

CWP is also involved in the Western Green Energy Hub project, which will be located on the coast near the border of South Australia.

The hydrogen project is being developed in partnership with InterContinental Energy and the Mirning People, who are the Traditional Owners of the land where it is being built

“Our pioneering work on AREH has laid the foundations for replicating this model elsewhere in Australia and worldwide,” Mr Dickson said.

“The only way to achieve rapid energy transition in hard-to-abate sectors is through bold, green energy projects on a massive scale. We are driven by the need for urgency and scale.”

The Western Green Energy Hub is also the largest commercial project contemplated in partnership with Aboriginal Traditional Owners in Australia’s history.