The Western Green Energy Hub, a vast renewable energy project in Western Australia, has recently received an upgrade in its planned capacity, now set to produce an impressive 70 GW—20 GW more than initially proposed.
Covering an expansive 2.2 million hectares, this facility will surpass entire countries like Slovenia and El Salvador in size. The Western Green Hub is located in the Shire of Dundas and the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and will primarily harness wind and solar power. The facility’s upgraded design includes 60 million solar panels spread across 35 solar farms and 3,000 wind turbines, with power ratings ranging from 7 MW to a groundbreaking 20 MW. The project is planned to be constructed over seven phases across three decades, with each of its 35 nodes capable of generating 2-3 GW. Once completed, the facility will produce over 200 TWh annually.
With an estimated cost of AUD $100 billion, the Western Green Energy Hub is expected to be a significant contributor to Australia’s clean energy goals by 2050. InterContinental Energy and CWP Global, leaders in supersized renewable projects, are spearheading the project. Both companies bring substantial expertise, having led high-capacity energy projects of over 25 GW in Oman and Australia, respectively.
The Hub is designed with the future in mind, allowing for technological upgrades in renewable energy over its 30-year development timeline. In addition to wind and solar, the facility will integrate green hydrogen production. Phase 1 alone is projected to yield 330,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually, with plans to scale production to 3.5 million tonnes per year upon project completion.
Further, the hub will produce green ammonia as part of a base case for export and environmental assessments. Green ammonia is emerging as a versatile fuel and fertilizer, providing another avenue for clean energy applications.