Wind turbine against a blue sky with clouds.

Projects awarded major project status are of national significance and will contribute to economic growth and employment.  

The Murchison Green Hydrogen project, NiWest Nickel Cobalt project and  Australian Renewable Energy Hub have been awarded major project status. 

Murchison Green Hydrogen project

This large-scale wind, solar, hydrogen and ammonia plant will cost an estimated $15 billion. 

The project aims to: 

  • generate 6 giga watts of renewable energy 
  • produce around 2 million tonnes of green ammonia each year. 

Construction will take 5 years and create nearly 2,500 jobs. Over the expected project lifespan of 30 years it will employ over 600 people.

NiWest Nickel Cobalt project

This project aims to produce: 

  • 90,000 tonnes of nickel sulphate 
  • 6,800 tonnes of cobalt sulphate. 

Critical minerals like nickel sulphate and cobalt sulphate are vital for manufacturing future technologies. 

The estimated project cost is $1.26 billion. Construction will take 2 years and create 600 jobs. Once complete, it will employ over 400 people during the project’s 50 year lifespan. 

Australian Renewable Energy Hub

The hub consists of 2 sites: 

  • a hydrogen processing facility capable of producing around 1.6 million tonnes of hydrogen and 9 million tonnes of green ammonia each year 
  • a 6,500 square kilometre solar array and wind farm expected to produce up to 26 giga watts of combined solar and wind power each year.

The project will cost approximately $30 billion. Construction will take 10 years. Once operational, it will employ up to 3,000 people. 

About the MPFA

The Major Projects Facilitation Agency (MPFA) is the Australian Government entry point for assisting project proponents with projects over $20 million. MPFA provides information and help with regulatory approvals for major projects in Australia.