$15b Murchison Green Hydrogen project to begin construction in early 2027, ammonia production in 2030

A major onshore wind and solar energy project bound for the Mid West town of Kalbarri is set to begin construction in late 2026 or early 2027, after the completion of early engineering, design work and environmental approvals. Backed by global investment powerhouse Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the $15 billion Murchison Green Hydrogen project is set to become one of Australia’s biggest renewable energy developments. After the proposal sparked local protests and backlash, Murchison Green Hydrogen CEO Shohan Seneviratne provided an update on the venture while in Geraldton this week for the Mid West Economic Forum. He promised the company was listening to and heeding community concerns. Located at Murchison House pastoral station, 13km north-east of Kalbarri, the controversial development will comprise up to 550 wind turbines, 7,000ha of solar panels, a desalination plant and a green hydrogen hub. These will generate and store green ammonia for international export. At full scale, the project will include up to 6GW of renewable energy generation, 3GW of electrolysis, and the production of about 1.9 million tonnes a year of green ammonia. A dedicated marine export terminal — featuring offshore vessel mooring and liquid ammonia transfer infrastructure — will be built about 2.5km off the coast. Development costs were being covered by CIP through its Energy Transition Fund, the world’s largest green hydrogen fund. In March, the Federal Government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency also announced $814 million for the project under the Hydrogen Headstart program. The funds will only be paid once production is under way and sales occur. Mr Seneviratne said construction would begin after a final investment decision, expected by the end of 2026 or early 2027. “Construction for the whole project is approximately five years,” he said. “Early production will start about the three-year mark, but full production will start at about five years.” The company has promised to inject $3m annually into local training, education and infrastructure under a community benefit sharing program, totalling about $100m over the project’s life. At its peak, the project will employ 3600 construction workers, prompting concern from the Shire of Northampton which says the town cannot accommodate a workforce of that size. Mr Seneviratne said a self-contained workers camp would be built onsite. “Not just accommodation, but dining, medical and recreational facilities — to ensure that we don’t impact Kalbarri’s services,” he said. For the operational workforce, which could be up to 600 people, Mr Seneviratne said they were doing a comprehensive social impact assessment and planned to work with the shire on its expansion plans for the region. In April, more than 30 protesters gathered outside the Kalbarri Sport and Recreation Centre, holding signs like “hands off our coast” and “truck off MGH” amid concerns the development would damage the town’s tourism and environment. “With projects of this scale, you’re always going to have differing opinions,” Mr Seneviratne said. “We’ve been engaging with the community to understand all those opinions and perspectives and incorporate them into the design.” He said MGH had been conducting environmental studies for more than three years — covering flora, fauna, vegetation and marine habitats — with findings to be publicly released via the WA Environmental Protection Authority later this year With other major green hydrogen projects in Australia scaling back, including billionaire Andrew Forrest’s energy company Fortescue, Mr Seneviratne said several factors set the Murchison apart. “It’s not just that it’s very windy — it’s high-quality wind at night and strong solar during the day, allowing continuous, stable production,” he said. “Being fully funded to final investment decision also means we can take a long-term view and optimise everything accordingly.”