60 million solar panels to power El Salvador-sized, world’s largest renewable project
One of the principal parts will be a plant for green ammonia production, determined as the flagship export product for the hub’s environmental assessment.
The Western Green Energy Hub (WGEH), touted to be the world’s largest renewable energy project, has begun its first round of public consultation.
This one-of-a-kind energy project, which is bigger in area than the entire country of El Salvador, has the potential to revolutionize renewable energy generation at scale.
“The planned output of the Western Green Energy Hub would be targeted mainly for the export market as the ‘green fuels’ market expands during the 2030s. As well, the project would have the capability to supply domestic end-use markets,” says a press release.
An energy behemoth on the horizon
WGEH is slated to be based in Western Australia and is a partnership between InterContinental Energy and CWP Global. Initially put forward with a capacity of 50GW, it was later increased to 70, which further aligns with its developer’s aspirations of a super green energy hub.
The WGEH aims to produce more than 200 terawatt hours (TWh) of renewable energy each year, which is almost equal to the entire power output of Australia, which was 274TWh in 2023.
The hub will consist of nearly 3,000 next-generation wind rotor blades, each rated at 7MW to 20MW, far greater than any onshore turbine currently in service.
Besides these, there will be 60 million solar panels mounted on 35 solar farms. All these installations will cover 22,700 square kilometers of the coastal desert of Western Australia – exceeding the sizes of countries like El Salvador and Slovenia.