Woodside Petroleum has long-term hopes to install up to 500 megawatts of solar generation and 2 gigawatt hours of batteries near Karratha, environmental documents show.
The ASX-listed oil and gas producer lodged an application with the Environmental Protection Authority late last year, which is now open for public comment.
The first stage of the development would include 100MW of solar power, which the documents say will be delivered to its Pluto LNG project and the Perdaman urea development proposed on the Burrup.
The project would also have 400MWh of battery backup, making it the second biggest battery bank in the country after Neoen opened the Victorian Big Battery in Geelong late in 2021.
Woodside said construction could begin this year, and be ready for start-up in 2023, with a 30-year operating life.
The project will be built at the Maitland Strategic Industrial Area, west of Karratha, on land to be controlled by DevelopmentWA.
Longer term, the company said it could expand to be as much as 500MW with 2GWh of battery.
“Woodside proposes to implement the proposal in a phased approach, expanding the development as customer demand arises,” the document said.
In December, the company told investors it would spend $US5 billion on green energy in the decade ahead, with recently announced hydrogen projects including H2Perth in WA and H2OK in Oklahoma.
