Western Gas has welcomed the Western Australian Government announcing the allocation of land in the Ashburton North Strategic Industrial Area (ANSIA) to its wholly owned subsidiary Equus Energy (ANSIA) Pty Ltd.
The land allocation will allow Equus Energy to progress plans for a scalable low carbon ammonia and methanol project within the ANSIA, approximately 12 km south of Onslow, Western Australia.
Equus Energy is working with industry leading partners to support engineering design, production technologies and project financing, and will now progress discussions with DevelopmentWA to reach and finalise Key Terms for land tenure within the ANSIA.
Equus Energy will be able to access natural gas feedstock for ammonia and methanol production from Western Gas’ Equus Gas Project, located offshore in the Carnarvon Basin, approximately 200 km northwest of Onslow.
Equus Energy plans to progressively combine renewable energy from solar and wind with the natural gas feedstock, lowering the project’s carbon intensity over time and transitioning towards green fuels production.
Western Gas Executive Director Will Barker said that Equus Energy had been established to help deliver on the company’s vision for the transition to lower carbon energy. “Securing land within the Ashburton North Strategic Industrial Area is a key step in harnessing the region’s abundant resources of natural gas, solar and wind energy to develop value adding downstream industries.
“The project supports a number of the Government’s strategic initiatives including the establishment of multiproduct green industrial precinct, progressing energy transformation, the diversification of WA’s economy, and ongoing support of regional communities and local jobs.”
WA Development, Jobs and Trade Minister Roger Cook said: “The approval of land allocations for the Boodarie and Ashburton North SIAs will help transform these sites into globally competitive, multi-product industrial precincts.
“The projects across the two SIAs will deliver a range of projects including ammonia, green iron ore, and hydrogen.
“From job creation to growing the local advanced manufacturing industry and servicing international markets, we will see the economic benefits of these land allocations and these projects flow through the WA economy over time.”
WA Lands Minister, John Carey, added: “Strategic Industrial Areas are a key attractor for Western Australia as they ensure new investment continues to support our emerging and growing renewable energy industries.
“This is a major boost for regional WA, in particular towns like Onslow, South Hedland and Port Hedland with these projects to create and support a number of local jobs while strengthening and diversifying the WA economy.”
