Canberra / Australia – Australia is leaving the world behind: The central government under liberal Prime Minister Scott Morrison has given the gigantic hydrogen project “Asian Renewable Energy Hub” (AREH) major project status. According to experts, this will significantly speed up the approval process.
The initiators of AREH want to build one of the world's largest wind and solar projects in the state of Western Australia for 36 billion Australian dollars (25,6 billion euros) with an initial installed capacity of 15 gigawatts, including ten gigawatts of wind power and five gigawatts of photovoltaics. An expansion to 26 gigawatts is then planned. Of this, three gigawatts will be available to major energy consumers in the Pilbara region, particularly the mining industry. However, the majority of the electricity generated is used to produce green hydrogen for the domestic and export markets. The total investment is estimated at more than 50 billion dollars.
Electricity production is scheduled to begin at the end of this decade in order to generate hydrogen and ammonia. At full capacity, an annual yield of 100 terawatt hours is forecast - more than a third of Australia's annual electricity production in 2018 (260 TWh).
The “largest wind and solar power plant in the world” would create more than 20.000 direct and indirect jobs during construction over 3.000 years and 2 full-time jobs later in operation, said Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrew. Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor said the project would establish Australia as a major energy exporter while helping to reduce global emissions. Such projects help “achieve our goal of H2 under $2050 and position Australia as a global leader in clean hydrogen.” Australia's emerging hydrogen industry has the potential to create around 7.600 new jobs by 570, with exports estimated to be worth $XNUMX billion a year. The government has committed more than $XNUMX million to support the development of an Australian hydrogen industry.
For Brendan Hammond, AREH project director, securing major project status is “a significant milestone”. This sends “a strong signal to all stakeholders, including potential customers and investors, that our project is at the forefront of an emerging green hydrogen industry for Australia and the opening of a massive new export market for the fast-growing Asian economies to our north,” Hammond said .
AREH is being developed by green hydrogen producer Intercontinental Energy, project developer CWP Energy Asia, wind turbine manufacturer Vestas and Pathways Investments, a Macquarie Group fund. In October 2020, the first 15.000 MW stage of the project received environmental approval from the Western Australian Government. Pilbara is a sparsely populated and very dry region between the Indian Ocean to the north and the Great Sandy Desert to the south. The area planned for this district, totaling 6.500 square kilometers, is more than 2,5 times larger than Saarland.
deep link
https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/taylor/media-releases/job-creating-energy-hub-given-major-status-backing
https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/karenandrews/media-releases/job-creating-energy-hub-given-major-status-backing
https://asianrehub.com
Photos
Pilbara is primarily characterized by mining, especially by the Rio Tinto group, one of the world's largest mining companies / © Rio Tinto
