Australia has been significantly dedicated to managing its carbon footprint and achieving its respective climate targets by expanding its renewable energy capacity. The country has moved beyond hydrogen expansion and nuclear power research by adding up to 60,000,000 solar panels to blanket the country. This mega solar project will work in tandem with another renewable source to expand Australia’s total installed capacity and provide power for hydrogen production, mainly for exports. Find out more below.
Australia goes beyond hydrogen and nuclear power
Australia has made its climate targets exceptionally clear and has set the following targets:
- 2050 – achieve net-zero
- 2035 – lowering emissions by 62-70% compared to 2005 levels
- 2030 – decrease emissions by 43%
To achieve these targets, Australia has been focusing its dedication on renewable energy expansion. It has set goals complementary to its climate targets, such as achieving a green hydrogen capacity of 1 Mt by 2030 and expanding the capacity to 15 Mt by 2050. While some believe that Australia has dabbled in nuclear power, the country, in fact, doesn’t have any commercial nuclear power capacity.
The closest Australia comes to nuclear power is the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation’s research with the OPAL reactor and isotope production for medical applications. It is also an exporter of uranium. The country itself is more focused on its green hydrogen production, and to provide enough clean power, it has added up to 60,000,000 solar panels, among others.
Millions of solar panels blanketing the country
Western Australia becomes home to millions of solar panels to blanket the desert. A multi-phased renewable project will bring new life and clean energy to Western Australia’s Mirning traditional lands in the south-east. This multi-phased mega-project, known as the Western Green Energy Hub (WGEH), is ideally located to harness both the energies from the abundant sun and wind.
WGEH will focus on ammonia and green hydrogen production, powered primarily by solar power in tandem with wind power. According to the WGEH website, the hydrogen will be utilised for:
- Clean power production
- Shipping fuel supplies
- Processing of minerals
- Heavy transport
So far, an application for WGEH is being prepared to achieve status as a Commonwealth Major Project. Its “Concept Feasibility Study” has been completed. An in-depth environmental impact review is also underway.
Up to 60,000,000 panels and more
The scale of the WGEH project is mind-boggling. Up to 60,000,000 solar panels will cover between 15,000 and 20,000+ square kilometres across 35 PV farms. To supplement the massive solar production, the project will also consist of 3,000 wind turbines. The proposed project still has a long way to go regarding its planning and development, with construction reportedly to start only in 2029, depending on the final investment status.
In its first phase, the combined renewable power production will be up to 8 GW. Beyond substantial clean energy production, the WGEH project will also have the following advantages:
- Indigenous partnership, with the Mirning community holding 10% equity and a permanent board seat
- Creation of nearly 3,000 construction jobs and 400 permanent jobs
- Increased support for local businesses
- Regional industry development, including
- desalination facilities, marine offloading facility, regional hubs
- Low levels of habitat disruption
It has been six years since the project’s location was selected, and while some may not even live to see the mega-project in full operation status, as some believe it will take 30 years once construction starts, slow and steady does win the race. As stakeholders continue the battle to move the project’s status along, we believe that many look forward to the positive impact the mega-project will have locally and internationally, especially as it contributes to the global mission of achieving net-zero. Meanwhile, Australia has also been dabbling with powdered hydrogen for easier transport. What will they do next?
Anke Maree is a writer with a clear and engaging editorial style. Her work focuses on making complex topics accessible, informative, and relevant for readers across different areas of interest.
