Another Green Supergiant for InterContinental Energy: 50 GW, 20 million tonnes of green ammonia capacity

By Julian Atchison on July 13, 2021

The Western Green Energy Hub

Click to enlarge. A schematic of the WGEH. Source: ICE.

The first three projects from InterContinental’s portfolio are now announced. In 2014 there was the Asian Renewable Energy Hub in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. This May we reported on the announcement of the Oman mega-project. And this week InterContinental announced its newest Green Supergiant (and the second to be located in Western Australia): the Western Green Energy Hub. The other major shareholder in WGEH is CWP Global (who are also a major shareholder in the AREH).

When fully operational, the Western Green Energy Hub (WGEH) could produce up to 50 gigawatts of hybrid wind and solar power over 15,000-square-kilometres in South-East Western Australia, across the Shires of Dundas and the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. The region provides an optimal diurnal profile for renewable energy, with consistently high levels of wind and solar energy over a 24-hour period. WGEH will be built in phases to produce up to 3.5 million tons of zero-carbon green hydrogen or 20 million tons of green ammonia each year, which will be provided domestically and exported internationally as the green fuels market continues to expand post-2030.

WGEH Press Release, InterContinental Energy, 13 July 2021

Engaging local Indigenous representatives

Click to download the press release.

Another key feature of WGEH will be a proactive approach to working with local Indigenous communities. At last November’s Ammonia Energy Conference, ICE’s Managing Director Alex Tancock was proud to report on the successful engagement with local Indigenous representatives (and the wider Pilbara community) from day one during development of the Asian Renewable Energy Hub. The WGEH will go one step further, with the local Mirning Traditional Lands Aboriginal Corporation owning a significant equity stake in the project, as well as a permanent seat on the consortium board.

As First Nations Land Owners, the Mirning People are excited to hold such an integral and defining stake in this historical partnership with WGEH. This partnership through robust governance and a seat at the table for Mirning People will provide opportunities never before available to Indigenous Corporations. This representation alongside sustainable financial and substantial social benefits will provide security for future generations.

Trevor Naley, Chairman of the Mirning Traditional Lands Aboriginal Corporation quoted in the WGEH Press Release, 13 July 2021

An impressive pipeline

The ranks of Green Supergiant now have six confirmed members: the AREH, Oman, Aman in Mauritania (CWP Global leading that project), Kazakhstan (Svevind), and now the WGEH. That’s an impressive pipeline of:

  • 176 GW of off-grid wind and solar hybrid power generation.
  • Over 100 GW of electrolyser capacity for green hydrogen production.
  • Potential green ammonia production of over 60 million tonnes per year.

There is also the unconfirmed Grand Inga project in Democratic Republic of the Congo (40 GW hydropower), currently under consideration by Fortescue.

*this article was updated to reflect the involvement of CWP Global, who are a major shareholder in ICE’s two West Australian mega-projects