300 MW solar project sketched out for Darwin development

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The Northern Territory government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Larrakia Energy and the South Korean government-owned Korea Midland Power (Komipo) to develop a new, large-scale solar energy project on land near to the Middle Arm precinct.

The NT government said the two-year agreement with Larrakia Energy, a joint venture initiative between Larrakia Development Corporation and Perth-based resource and renewables company Progressive Green Solutions, and Komipo would see the parties “work in co-operation to achieve the rapid, efficient and effective development of the 300 MW Green Energy Project.”

Larrakia Development Corporation Chief Executive Officer Nigel Browne said the MoU is a crucial step to building the Territory’s renewables future and will help advance the project to the next stage.

“We are bringing together the resources and goodwill needed to lower emissions and care for Country, on Larrakia Country,” he said.

MT Planning Minister Eva Lawler joins company representatives at the signing ceremony.

Image: NT government

The project includes scoping, construction and operation of the 300 MW solar plant at Bladin Point near the Middle Arm precinct site.

While no further details about the Green Energy Project have been made available, it is expected that the developers will look to construct a dedicated transmission line direct to the Middle Arm precinct.

The industrial area currently houses the Santos and Ichthys gas export terminals and in June the NT government awarded land in the precinct to Fortescue Future Industries and French renewables major Total Eren, both of which are pursuing green hydrogen projects in the Territory.

Other awardees are minerals company Tivan, which plans to build a facility at the Middle Arm precinct to process vanadium for products such as batteries, and fellow Perth-based battery minerals producer Avenira, which is focused on developing a plant to process minerals for lithium phosphate batteries. Tamboran Resources, which plans to build a gas export plant at the site, has also been awarded land.

A map of the proposed Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct.

Image: NT government

NT Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler said the Green Energy Project has the potential to create “thousands of jobs and increase our sustainable energy production for countless years to come.”

The announcement caps a big week for Progressive Green Solutions and Komipo with the parties, in partnership with Samsung C&T, entering into negotiations with the Western Australian (WA) government to establish a green ammonia production and export plant near Geraldton.

The WA government has secured land at the Narngulu Industrial Estate for the proposed facility which is expected to produce up to 1 million tonnes of green ammonia per annum using renewable hydrogen.

The project is expected to help support the decarbonisation of power generation assets in South Korea, with first shipments of green ammonia expected in 2027.

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