Western Australian authorities endorse 15GW renewables project

The proposed Asian Renewable Energy hub comprised wind turbines and solar panels.

Western Australia’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has recommended the environmental approval of a 15GW wind and solar energy project in the Pilbara, according to a press release.

The authority recommended that the proposal for the Asian Renewable Energy Hub be implemented, subject to consultation on management plans with relevant stakeholders, including traditional land owners.

The report on the hub to the Minister for Environment is now open for a two-week public appeal period, closing 18 May 2020. The Minister for Environment will make the final decision on the proposal.

With the large distances from these important Ramsar wetlands, the EPA deemed any potential impacts to migratory birds to be manageable.

The proposed Asian Renewable Energy Hub comprised onshore wind turbines and solar panels situated about 220 km east of Port Hedland, with a transmission cable corridor to the coast and subsea cables to the edge of state waters, said EPA Chair Tom Hatton. It has an expected operational lifespan of 50 years.

The proposal involves the construction of up to 1,743 wind turbines, solar panels, above and below ground transmission cables and four subsea power cables, covering an onshore and offshore development envelope of 662,400 hectares.