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Regional Development Minister of Collie in Western Australia, Alannah MacTiernan has welcomed another move towards making the region a renewable energy industrial powerhouse as it transitions away from coal.
Sunshot Energy plans to develop a new battery and green hydrogen industrial center in Western Australia, fueled by renewable energy. The project will also be capable of producing green ammonia and urea.
A 600 to 800 MWh battery, which is four times larger than Tesla’s large battery in Hornsdale, South Australia, would be a significant component in making Collie the power hub. This will extensively be utilized to supply renewable energy to new and current industrial operations in the region.
The first stage of a feasibility assessment for the Collie Battery and Hydrogen Industrial Hub Project has been approved for up to $1 million in funding.
Sunshot Energy’s research, led by prominent energy expert Ross Garnaut, is evaluating the economic possibility of creating a hydrogen electrolyzer driven by renewable energy, which might also create green ammonia and urea for agricultural and industrial purposes.
If the economic case is approved, the project is expected to generate AUD 730 million in new investment in green businesses and decarbonization programs.
New industrial activity associated with the availability of decarbonized, low-cost electricity is likely to result in considerable job growth in the immediate term and widen Collie’s economic foundation for long-term development.
As Australia migrates away from the coal sector, it makes sense for Collie, which is at the core of the South-West energy system, to become a green energy industrial powerhouse, and the initiative is going to serve as the groundwork for the development of a renewable energy center.