Western Australia’s iconic Gnaraloo Station could be developed into an industrial hub complete with giant wind turbines and solar panels in what could be one of the biggest green hydrogen projects in Australian history.
Gnaraloo owner Paul Richardson told ABC Pilbara he “nearly fell off his chair” when he opened the letter informing him of the proposal.
Gnaraloo borders a UNESCO World Heritage site and the entire Gascoyne region has been dubbed a sweet spot for renewable energy generation, capturing the interest of billionaire Andrew Forrest.
This year Forrest’s Fortescue Metals Group has been busy applying for a swathe of exploration licences in the region, beginning at Wooramel, 260km south of Gnaraloo, and extending as far north as Yannarie.
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FMG has not confirmed whether it is looking for a green hydrogen production site, ABC Pilbara said, however, experts believe it would make perfect sense.
“The location is ranked fourth in Western Australia for mean wind speeds, the natural solar resource averaged 211 sunny days a year, and there is potential to extract sea water for an electrolyser plant,” the report said.
Pastoralist Paul Richardson said he welcomed renewable energy projects but believed due process was imperative.
“To propose something at Gnaraloo, you are really [targeting] one of the highest-profile heritage places of the whole west coast,” Mr Richardson said.
“We are national and world heritage listed, and we’ve got the Ningaloo Marine Park—you couldn’t get anywhere more ecologically sensitive.
“The idea of this is to save the planet … but you are going to destroy what you are trying to save in the first place.”
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Mr Richardson has spent the past 15 years running low-intensity pastoral activities on his land while maintaining a popular off-the-grid getaway visited by thousands of tourists every year.
The Gnaraloo business model is dependent on tourism, which Mr Richardson feared was at risk if the green hydrogen project went ahead.
“Again, it is only in the planning stages, but what’s come across my desk is that the wind turbines would be 100 storeys high. Picture 400 of them: There goes your wilderness,” he told ABC Pilbara.
“That’s not even taking into account the damage that will be done by building something like this, foundations, footings, access roads, power transfer through cables and an onsite plant.
“Next minute, you wipe out the 40,000 visitors that come and stay at the coast.”
