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Australia Plans 900 Megawatts Of Solar Projects To Help Green Hydrogen Energy Projects

Aug 28, 2023Leave a message

Australian clean energy investment company Pollination plans to work with traditional landowners in Western Australia to build a massive solar farm in what will be one of the largest solar projects in Australia to date. The solar farm is part of the East Kimberley Clean Energy Project, which aims to build a gigawatt-scale green hydrogen and ammonia production base in the northwestern region of the country.

Australia's largest solar farm to be born

The project, expected to begin operations in 2028, is being planned, created and managed by Australian Aboriginal Clean Energy (ACE) Partners. The partnership company is held in equal shares by the traditional owners of the land on which the project is located.

The first phase of the East Kimberley Clean Energy Project will build a 900MW solar farm, more than double the size of solar projects currently built in Australia. At the same time, a 50,000-ton-per-year green hydrogen plant will also be built on MG Corp.'s free land near Kununurra.

To produce green hydrogen, the project will use freshwater from Lake Kununurra and hydropower from the Ord hydropower station at Lake Argyle, combined with solar power, before being transported via a new pipeline to the Port of Wyndham, which is "ready for export". At the port, the green hydrogen will be converted into green ammonia. It is expected to produce about 250,000 tons of green ammonia per year to supply the fertilizer and explosives industries for domestic and export markets.

East Kimberley Clean Energy Project

Feasibility and funding for the project have yet to be finalized, but construction is expected to begin in late 2025, with production of green hydrogen beginning in late 2028. The concept for the project has completed a scoping study and will begin a feasibility study with 12 months of environmental, engineering and approval work.

Faced with growing global demand for renewable energy, Australia is actively pursuing opportunities to convert its unique natural resources into clean energy. The implementation of the East Kimberley Clean Energy Project will provide the country with an innovative demonstration project that will advance its leadership in renewable energy and make an important contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ensuring equity and growth in the renewable energy transition

What is unique about this project is that traditional landowners are directly involved and jointly own shares in ACE with companies like Pollination. This "first-of-its-kind partnership" provides a model for future infrastructure projects in Australia, ensuring traditional landowners can reap the benefits of the scale and speed of the renewable energy transition.

MG Corp., an organization of traditional landowners representing the people of Miriuwung and Gajerron, along with Balanggarra Aboriginal Corp. and the Kimberley Land Council will each hold a 25 percent stake in ACE. This partnership model not only helps mitigate the risks associated with land use agreements and approvals, but also offers investors a more attractive prospect.

The success of the East Kimberley Clean Energy Project will open a new path for Australia's clean energy future. Taking full advantage of the region's natural advantages and existing energy and port infrastructure, it will be a major clean energy export hub, contributing to Australia's and the region's emission reduction efforts, promoting the development of new industries and securing traditional land Owners and local residents become shareholders of interest.

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