British oil and gas giant BP is a step closer to establishing a large-scale integrated renewable energy and green hydrogen project in Western Australia after investing A$23 million ($15.3 million) in a nearly 23,000-hectare property.
BP has advanced plans to build 10GW of wind and solar power to supply an export-scale green hydrogen and ammonia production facility in Western Australia with the purchase of Daisy Downs, a 22,568ha farmland north of Mullewa. about 120 kilometers from Geraldton.
Daisy Downs provides approximately 25% of the land BP estimates is needed for the proposed Geraldton Export-Scale Renewable Investment (GERI), which would eventually include 10 GW of renewable energy generation capacity, used to produce and convert renewable hydrogen into a carrier such as ammonia. BP’s goal is to sell to domestic and international markets in the 2030s.
“What we wanted to do here was really get one large parcel of land quickly to show that we are serious about developing this project,” BP spokesman James Foley told the ABC. “It also gives us a bit of flexibility in terms of what we can do on land. Wind and solar are the main focus (but) we can look at the possibility of converting it to hydrogen in the region.”
BP said the first phase of the GERI project would seek to develop about 3GW of wind and solar power with green hydrogen and ammonia expected to be exported from the State Government’s planned Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area, about 20km north of Geraldton. The company was recently awarded 220 hectares of land adjacent to the proposed Oakajee port as the state government plans to accelerate the development of green hydrogen projects in the area.
BP is also said to be in talks with Midwestern landowners to add 73,000 acres to further expand its renewable energy production infrastructure.
BP, which last year acquired a stake in the 26 GW Asian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH) project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, has set its sights on establishing a similar project in the Geraldton region based on positive results from a feasibility study for the project. potential of the area.
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When the results of the study were released, BP Australia president Frédéric Baudry said they confirmed the potential to increase green hydrogen production in Western Australia.
“This looks particularly promising in (Western Australia’s) midwest, where there is existing infrastructure, access to land and an abundance of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar,” he said. “Importantly, our research also confirmed strong demand from potential customers in hard-to-contain sectors in both local and export markets.”
