The Mirning Traditional Owners’ native title rights were recognised by the Federal Court in 2017.
The Mirning Traditional Lands Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC was established by the Mirning People in 2019 to manage their Native Title rights and interests.
Mirning Green Energy Limited - established in 2021 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mirning Traditional Lands Aboriginal Corporation - joined a consortium with InterContinental Energy and CWP Global to investigate developing the Western Green Energy Hub (WGEH) north-north-east of Eucla on the lands of the Mirning people.
The Mirning hold exclusive Native Title rights across most of the proposed project area.
The proposed Western Green Energy Hub would be the world’s largest renewable hub with 25 million solar panels and 3,000 wind turbines. The $75 billion project announced in July 2021 is expected to be built in stages over a 15-year period and could produce up to 50 gigawatts of hybrid wind and solar power used to produce either 3.5 million tonnes of green hydrogen or 20 million tonnes of green ammonia yearly.
The project is targeting export markets with estimated costs of around $100 billion at full capacity. First production is anticipated by 2032 (with the option of constructing an offshore facility to transfer fuels to ships and a desalination plant), however recent reports suggest that may accelerate to 2025.
The project gives Mirning Green Energy a permanent seat on the Western Green Energy Hub board, a minority 10% free carried interest stake in the project through to Final Investment Decision (FID) due in 2029, and the option of securing majority ownership in 50 years after a financial investment decision is made. The other shareholders are InterContinental Energy (46%) and CWP Global (44%).
Mirning Green Energy is reportedly not required to make any financial contributions to Western Green Energy Hub unless the project is approved. If the project is approved, Mirning Green Energy can choose to contribute to the project costs in order to retain its shares, or sell some or all of its shares.
In its corporate charter, Western Green Energy Hub commits not to undertake any activities on Mirning Lands to which the Mirning do not agree to.
Western Green Energy Hub has reportedly worked with Mirning and Spinifex knowledge holders who have shared 'the significant Cultural Heritage values of the Tjukurpa (song lines), as well as identified localised Cultural Heritage sites'. An infrastructure exclusion zone 15km north of the escarpment line has been requested and agreed to by Western Green Energy Hub.
Western Green Energy Hub can only go ahead with an Indigenous Land Use Agreement in place. The Mirning Traditional Lands Aboriginal Corporation's Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) Committee is negotiating with Western Green Energy Hub. The Mirning Traditional Lands Aboriginal Corporation 'is committed to ensuring free, prior and informed consent and will undertake comprehensive community consultations with Mirning People as negotiations develop.'
Where’s it up to?
In December 2021 the Western Australian Government announced the project would receive Lead Agency Services from the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, designed to help projects through State Government approvals processes.
In September 2022 the State Government with InterContinental Energy announced they would each spend $375,000 for an independent consultant to engage in early planning for the project.
In July 2023 Western Green Energy Hub and Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) signed an MOU to collaborate towards a Joint Development Agreement.
An Indigenous Land Use Agreement is being negotiated.
In September 2024, a new collaboration agreement was signed by the consortium - Mirning Green Energy, CWP Global and Intercontinental Energy - with Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) to enable a detailed examination of the project and a full feasibility study on Stage one - ~6GW wind/ solar; ~0.3Mtpa green hydrogen.