PERTH (miningweekly.com) – One of Australia’s largest green hydrogen energy hubs is a step closer to development, with the Western Green Energy Hub (WGEH) signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with utility major Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) to deepen their cooperation on the project.

The WGEH project is a staged development of one of Australia’s largest proposed green hydrogen hubs, located over 15 000 km² in the southeast of Western Australia, on Mirning Country. The project will require around 3 000 wind turbines and 25-million solar panel modules.

Once complete, the project will become one of the largest of such energy hubs in the world and generate 3.5-million tonnes of zero-carbon green hydrogen a year, for supply to both domestic and international customers, including South Korea.

The MoU confirms Kepco’s interest in participating in the project and lays the foundation for deepening the relationship between Kepco and WGEH.

“I am delighted to have Kepco sign the MoU and I look forward to the collaboration in our joint goal to develop the WGEH project, as well as being a long-term supply partner to South Korea and other international markets,” said WGEH CEO Ray Macdonald.

“This new partnership is recognition of the work we have done to date and, perhaps more importantly, it recognises the opportunities that lie ahead.”

“This includes the present update of the Australian government's national hydrogen strategy and the opportunity for priority promotion of regional development, indigenous participation, and a new green export industry for Australia.”

“Projects like WGEH are large and complex and bringing in Kepco, a proven partner and developer of large-scale infrastructure projects, is invaluable.”

Kepco VP and head of new and global business development Chanhyuk Chun said the company was very excited by the WGEH project, which is ideally located in an area of impressive wind and solar resource, enabling very large-scale green power generation and sizeable potential green hydrogen and ammonia offtake opportunities.

“The MoU enables us to bring our knowledge and experience to WGEH, as well as being an important step towards Kepco achieving our stated carbon neutrality targets.”

The Western Australian government on Wednesday welcomed the MoU, with Hydrogen Industry Minister Bill Johnston saying it was a key step forward in the process of having the major project completed.

“This is an exciting project for Western Australia and will put our state at the forefront of producing green hydrogen, making it competitive on a worldwide scale.

“The government is proud to continue its commitment to the renewable hydrogen sector and its pledge to reduce emissions in Western Australia,” he said.

WGEH is the corporate entity developing the project, comprising a current consortium of three shareholders namely, InterContinental Energy, WP Global and Mirning Green Energy, a dedicated commercial entity of the Mirning Traditional Lands Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC.

The WGEH project will actively partner with the local and regional communities and help to grow their economies. Integral to this transformation will be the involvement of the Mirning Peoples, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which the project will take place.