Name of the Project
Asian Renewable Energy Hub.

Location
The project is located about 220 km east of Port Hedland, in the north-west of Western Australia.

Project Owner/s
The Asian Renewable Energy Hub is being developed by InterContinental Energy, CWP Energy Asia, Vestas and Pathway Investments.

Project Description
The proposal is to build and operate a large-scale wind and solar renewable-energy project, comprising a series of onshore linear arrays of wind turbines and solar panels, and a transmission cable corridor to the coast.

Offshore components comprise four high-voltage direct current (HVDC) inert subsea power cables extending to the limit of state waters.

The project includes:

• up to 1 743 wind turbines, with each turbine being up to 260 m tall;

• 2 000 MW of solar photovoltaic capacity, which will be divided into thirty-seven 55 MW modules of about 180 ha;

• four HVDC cables offshore, which require 15.3 ha of benthic habitat disturbance;

• an HVDC converter station, which will convert the alternating current generated on site into direct current to allow for export;

• overhead and underground transmission lines, with up to 50-m-tall pylons spaced every 450 m along the transmission corridor. The transmission cables will be buried underground about 14 km before reaching the coast and buried below the foredune and beach;

• up to 1 514 km of site access tracks to link the wind turbines with other infrastructure;

• up to 37 step-up substations distributed over the site, together with overhead power lines connecting the turbines to the substations, and the substations to the converter station; and

• temporary construction compounds, including site parking, storage sheds, offices, accom­modation, ablution facilities, crib rooms, fluid and fuel stores, covered external areas and laydown areas, as well as a control centre to provide a base for the construction and operations personnel.

Potential Job Creation
The proposal will require about 3 000 workers during the ten-year construction period, and about 400 workers for the more than 50-year operational life of the proposal.

Capital Expenditure
Project cost is expected to be about A$22-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority approved the large-scale wind and solar renewable-energy project in May 2020, subject to several conditions.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
email info@asianrehub.com.