PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian government’s Industrial Lands Panel has approved allocations of land for four projects in Maitland Strategic Industrial Area (SIA), with the potential to unlock billion-dollar industrial developments in the Pilbara.
Green energy developer Fortescue Future Industries, ASX-listed Hexagon, crop nutrition company Yara International and multinational Pardaman will all be allocated land in the Maitland SIA.
Land allocation approval is an essential step in transforming the Maitland greenfield site into a globally competitive, multi-product industrial precinct, which will support the diversification of the Western Australian economy and the creation of more jobs.
Located approximately 24 km west of the town of Karratha and 39 km south of Dampier port, the projects approved for land allocations in Maitland will produce hydrogen and ammonia and generate renewable power.
“The approval of land allocation for Maitland SIA will help transform the greenfield site into a globally competitive, multi-product industrial precinct,” said state Development, Jobs and Trade Minister Roger Cook.
“Land allocated in the Maitland SIA will enable a range of projects, including ammonia, hydrogen and renewable energy, which will aim to decarbonise emissions on the Burrup Peninsula.
“This is exciting news for the Pilbara, and in particular for Karratha and Dampier, as these projects will create a pipeline of local jobs for years to come.”
ASX-listed Hexagon confirmed it had secured 40 ha of land in the Maitland SIA to develop its flagship WAH2 project, supplying low-emissions ammonia to Asian economies. A prefeasibility study on the project is due shortly.
The company said on Monday that discussions regarding ammonia offtake, project structuring and project participation will also start in the second quarter of 2023.
Pardaman, in turn, in April announced that it had secured land in Maitland for its plans to construct a 100 MW solar power facility and associated transmission infrastructure as part of the company’s efforts to decarbonise its announced Urea project on the Burrup Peninsula.
Development of the solar facility is strategically in line with Pardaman’s commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and will complement the 50 MW solar facility already announced alongside Woodside.
Yara International is planning a renewable hydrogen plant to provide feedstock to its ammonia operations near Karratha.
The Yuri project includes a 10 MW electrolyzer, 18 MW of solar PV and battery storage. Once completed, the project will be one of Australia’s largest electrolysers, capable of producing up to 640 t of green hydrogen each year.