The Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area (SIA) land allocation has been granted by Western Australian (WA) Government’s Industrial Lands Panel.
In a statement, the State Government said the move marks the latest step towards transforming the greenfield site into a globally competitive, multi-product renewable hydrogen industrial district.
The Oakajee SIA is located around 435 kilometres north of Perth and 23 kilometres north of Geraldton. It includes four primary designated land uses a 1,134-hectare heavy industrial core, a 4,070-hectare buffer zone, a 1,000-hectare port, and 196-hectare industrial support zones.
According to the Government, the greenfield Oakajee site is known for its world-class wind and solar energy potential, making it suitable for generating renewable hydrogen for domestic and commercial use, advanced manufacturing, and export.
State Development, Jobs and Trade Minister Roger Cook said global demand for clean and renewable energy is high, and WA has the ideal combination of wind and solar potential.
“The Oakajee SIA has received significant interest from major global hydrogen producers, and has the potential to not only transform our economy, but create more long-term jobs for Western Australians,” Minister Cook stated.
Minister Cook added that the efforts being made by the WA Government to activate SIAs throughout the State, promoting activities that will help diversify our economy and create local jobs, are best exemplified by Oakajee.
As an initial step towards establishing Oakajee as a globally competitive renewable hydrogen precinct, the WA Government committed $47.5 million to activate the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area in 2021 and is progressing with early road infrastructure.
“Since the WA Government identified Oakajee as an ideal location for renewable energy and hydrogen production, we have been working hard with proponents taking the next steps towards the establishment of a globally competitive green hydrogen industry,” Hydrogen Industry Minister Alannah MacTiernan said.
According to Minister MacTiernan, renewable hydrogen produced at Oakajee would not only benefit the Mid-West but could also become another top-tier export from regional parts of Western Australia.
Given the high interest in the opportunity, the Industrial Lands Panel has agreed to allot property to six proponents subject to critical criteria being negotiated and agreed upon with DevelopmentWA, the State’s principal land development agency.
The six proponents comprise BP, Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), Green LOHC, Kinara Power, and Blue Diamond Australia.
Once operational, the Oakajee SIA will significantly increase investment, employment opportunities, and value production for WA and the Mid-West area.
The Oakajee SIA is one of 13 SIAs throughout the State that were created to offer suitable locations for investment in strategic, heavy industrial, and downstream processing industries to support the Government’s goal of diversifying the WA economy and enhancing the value of the State’s resources.
Lands Minister John Carey said one of the many ways the McGowan Administration supports increased sustainable energy production is through land allocation.
“SIAs are a key tool to attract investment into WA and support emerging industries, building on WA’s existing strengths,” Minister Carey stated.
The Minister added that the WA Government remains committed to helping the renewable energy sectors improve and secure our economy while generating high-quality local jobs.
According to the State Government, innovative technologies and new industries are brought together by SIAs to create healthy industrial ecosystems that promote economic growth and the creation of jobs. SIAs link important provinces to produce minerals and energy with infrastructure and population centres.
A crucial aspect of SIAs is that they offer the chance to create synergies and assist project economics through the joint use of essential infrastructure and approvals procedures to enable the formation of essential industries.
