Kalbarri locals fight planned Murchison Hydrogen Renewables Project saying it will ruin 'natural beauty'

Kalbarri is located on the WA coast next to where the Murchison River meets the Indian Ocean. (ABC Midwest Wheatbelt: Chris Lewis)

As Australia and the world chase a target of net zero global emissions, a new renewable technology is at the forefront — green hydrogen.

But a small, coastal town in Western Australia’s Midwest is pushing back against a planned green hydrogen production plant nearby, with some locals saying it will destroy the region’s natural beauty and serenity.

The Murchison Hydrogen Renewables Project would see the construction of large-scale facilities, as well as hundreds of wind turbines and thousands of hectares of solar panels to power them.

The project would be built just north of Kalbarri, a town about six hours north of Perth, where the local economy depends on tourists who are attracted by its picturesque landscape and laid-back vibe.

What’s the catch?

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and it can be used as a fuel — but there is a catch.

On Earth, hydrogen does not naturally exist as a pure element, meaning technology is required to isolate the hydrogen from whatever other element it is attached to.

The most common way to do this is to split hydrogen from oxygen in water through a process called electrolysis, in which an electric current is passed through water, splitting the two elements and allowing them to be collected.

This process is often powered by fossil fuels, and is extremely polluting.

The difference with “green hydrogen” is the electrolysis process is instead powered by renewable energy such as wind and solar, meaning there are no greenhouse gas emissions.

Untapped potential

Liam Wagner, an energy economist and associate professor in sustainable energy systems at Curtin University, says Australia is in a unique position to capitalise on the push towards green hydrogen.

“Australia has the highest incidence of solar power — so photons, hitting our continent — of any other continent,” he said.

“And we have an enormous potential to install solar electricity generation. And one way to obviously use and store the electricity that would generate is via either hydrogen or ammonia.

“We could be, again, an energy superpower, we could be exporting more energy in terms of joules than we do for LNG and coal combined.

“The potential is absolutely enormous.”

The perfect spot?

The Murchison Hydrogen Project (MHP) would see the construction of an electrolysis plant, desalination factory, an ammonia conversion plant, and marine export facilities.

More than 500 wind turbines and up to 10,000 hectares of solar panels would also be constructed to power the buildings.

CEO Shohan Seneviratne said Kalbarri’s natural characteristics of wind and solar energy potential, as well as its coastal location, made it a perfect site for the project as all these attributes were essential.

It has access to sea water which which will be desalinated and used in the electrolysis process, with the water also providing a means for exporting the green ammonia overseas via ship.

“The combination of these factors makes the location an ideal location for the production of green hydrogen,” Mr Seneviratne said.

Construction could start mid-way through 2026, pending planning and environmental approval.

The project will be reviewed by the Western Australia Environmental Protection Authority before a recommendation is made to the state government.

There are eight total submissions as part of the review process, and the project will also undergo a four-week public consultation period.

Community concern

However, a local group named Keep Kalbarri Beautiful is opposing the project, saying it would ruin the environment and natural beauty of the area.

Wind turbines would be visible from major tourist points, and residents are concerned about the town’s water supply during the construction period.

An online petition to stop heavy industry development has garnered more than 3,000 signatures so far.

The group’s leader, Mick Mcintyre, said there was no place in the world like Kalbarri.

“Kalbarri has got this brand of nature that is raw and you are not going to get it anywhere else,” he said.

Mr Mcintyre said the project would take up a “massive” tract of land that is otherwise pristine coast.

“I’m all for green energy and all that sort of stuff and there has to be a way forward somehow, but to do it in places where you have got pristine beauty?” he said.

“Why would we want to destroy that in one fell swoop? It just doesn’t make sense.”

Mr Seneviratne said MHP was working with community members, but conceded some of their concerns — like visible wind turbines — could not be avoided.

“We are in the development phase of the project and in line with that, we are able to take in feedback from the community into our development and design decision-making process,” he said.

“Will that eliminate all of those things? That’s unlikely to happen.

“However, our primary aim is to ensure that community have accurate and up-to-date information about the project on which they’re basing their views.”

MHP said the project would create an estimated 3,000 jobs during construction, with 450 ongoing local roles.

Striking the right balance

Dr Wagner says consultation and parties working together is the key.

“It’s extremely important for proponents of these types of facilities to engage with community and to ensure that people in the community understand the benefits to them, and the benefits to the country and the rest of the world, in this case,” he said.

“If people, particularly the proponents, don’t engage with them, that’s why they find it difficult to accept a new industry moving in.

“The infrastructure, I think should be built in parallel with community development and … the proponent’s manufacturing side, and I think that there needs to be all the co-benefits built in to these types of projects.”