InterContinental Energy secures new funding for Australian Renewable Energy Hub

$14.5 million from ARENA

Click to learn more about the new grant for the Australian Renewable Energy Hub, a mega-project being developed by InterContinental Energy in northwest Australia.

Thanks to a new, AU$21 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), InterContinental will “further advance and accelerate” the mega-project in Australia’s northwest. The Australian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH) features the deployment of up to 26 GW of hybrid wind and solar generation, and the production of up to 1.6 million tons per year of hydrogen. Downstream products ammonia and “green iron” are part of the project plan, as is transmission of green electrons to help power industry in the Pilbara region. The Boodarie Development Area near Port Hedland is one of several strategic industrial hubs planned in Western Australia, and will be a key connection point for electricity transmission from AREH, as well as a potential site for hydrogen (and ammonia) production.

This funding allows us to advance the rigorous engineering, design and commercial analysis needed to progress AREH and its ability to supply new industrial clusters in the Pilbara. It brings us closer to delivering large‑scale, low‑cost green hydrogen, supporting a Future Made in Australia agenda and positioning the Pilbara as a leading global centre for green iron manufacturing.

Neil Parker, CEO of AREH, in InterContinental’s official press release, 3 Feb 2025

For the Pilbara to remain a major source of jobs and growth for Australia in the decades ahead, it must evolve from exporting iron ore to producing green iron. As global customers increasingly demand affordable green iron, there is an incredible strategic opportunity for the Pilbara to combine its world-class renewable energy and iron ore resources to capture more of the value chain. At InterContinental Energy we are proud that this funding will accelerate AREH’s nation‑building potential to drive the first phases of green iron investment in the region.

Isaac Hinton, Head of Australia at InterContinental Energy, in his organisation’s official press release, 3 Feb 2025

Former equity partner and project operator bp left AREH in 2025, after which InterContinental assumed full responsibility for developing the project. AREH is one of several mega-projects in InterContinental’s portfolio. Another Australian project – the Western Green Energy Hub or WGEH – will feature next month in our Project Features webinar series, with project CEO Raymond Macdonald joining us to discuss progress and the pathway forward. Register here for our conversation on Tues 3 March.