Global energy consultancy Xodus has been granted land by the Government of Western Australia to support the development of a large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia project in the Mid-West region, the company said on Monday.
The allocation, located within the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area (SIA), allows Xodus and its partners to advance the project under the Warradarge Energy banner. The initiative, previously known as Project MercurHy, was first announced in 2022 and is planned to be developed in two main phases.
The initial phase focuses on supplying green hydrogen to domestic markets, with a view to decarbonising mining and heavy transport operations. The longer-term goal is to expand the project into a hydrogen-derived ammonia export facility at the Oakajee site.
“This is a major step forward, not just for Warradarge Energy, but also in Australia’s quest to be one of the world’s dominant clean hydrogen players,” said Simon Allison, Xodus Vice President for Asia Pacific and a member of Warradarge Energy’s strategic advisory board. “We have worked hand in glove with the Warradarge Energy team, as well as industry partners and landowners to ensure we are delivering a development underpinned by a robust and scalable hydrogen supply chain.”
The first stage of the project is already underway, with over 16,000 hectares of land secured at Warradarge. Power supply agreements with an existing wind farm are under negotiation, and offtake partners have been confirmed, according to the company.
Warradarge Energy said the project benefits from a behind-the-meter renewable energy supply, high plant utilisation rates, and favourable market pricing. These elements, the company noted, contribute to its commercial viability and potential scalability.
“Scalable, high-quality renewable energy projects like ours are needed to bridge the gap between today’s demonstration sized facilities and the gigawatt-scale hydrogen developments of the future,” said Stephen Archer, Chief Executive of Warradarge Energy. “This project is about accelerating the supply chain, minimising technology risks, and driving down costs.”
Australia is positioning itself as a global leader in green hydrogen, with the sector currently valued at more than $225 billion and a growing pipeline of projects. The Oakajee initiative is among a number of developments aiming to tap into this potential and contribute to decarbonisation goals both domestically and abroad.
Warradarge Energy and Xodus are expected to continue progressing permitting, infrastructure design, and supply agreements in the lead-up to full project execution.
