The Australian federal environment ministry has rejected the plans to build a $36 billion renewable energy (RE) project in Pilbara region of western Australia. …
The 26 GW Asian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH) wind, solar and green hydrogen project, if executed, would have been one of the largest green energy projects. However, the project is anticipated to cause significant damage to wetlands, coastal regions and critical habitat for migratory birds. The AREH project was designed to initially build 15 GW of RE capacity and be eventually expanded to 26 GW and produce green hydrogen and ammonia for export to the Asia-Pacific region.The AREH consortium includes Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, Australian private-sector energy firm CWP Renewables and Hong Kong-based energy firm InterContinental Energy. There is a possibility that the project will be revised again to address some of the environmental concerns before being resubmitted for approval.