Western Australia establishes green energy project approval group

The group is set up within the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, which has started a streamlined pathway for environmental assessments to reduce project approval time frames.

The WA state government committed A$22.5 million in December 2022 to streamline the green energy approval process including through the green energy approvals initiative, the green energy major projects group, and the green energy expert panel.

The green energy approvals initiative forms a major part of the approval process. Led by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, the initiative aims to drive investment in wind and solar power projects, hydrogen, lithium mining, critical minerals processing as well as manufacturing products such as batteries, electrolysers, solar panels, and wind turbines. It is currently assessing over 40 green projects, and over 30 other proposals are expected to be referred for assessment in the next 12 months.

The green energy major projects group is designed to help steer projects and investors through the government process. Based within the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, the group acts as the first point of contact for businesses and investors as they navigate through the approvals process.

The green energy expert panel is an independent agency that provides the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) with the independent advice and information needed to progress approvals in time.

Renewables expert George Varma at Pinsent Masons said: “Streamlining and expediting the approvals process will greatly assist to encourage investment in green energy projects in Western Australia. The green energy major projects group will have a vital role to play with helping parties to navigate through the process, particularly international investors as they continue to enter the market at pace. A transparent, clear and fast track approval process will drive confidence in the market and attract more international investment in the region, which will provide a major financial boost for the economy.”

“WA has been touted as a global energy hub due to its vast natural resources and a world-class industrial ecosystem. This fast-track pathway demonstrates the state’s determination to transition to net zero emissions economy,” said the Western Australian environment minister, Recce Whitby.

The implementation and finer details of how the approvals process will operate have not yet been released. Further updates are expected in the coming months and may well align with the federal government’s Hydrogen Headstart scheme, which was announced earlier this year as part of the 2023 Australian Federal Budget. 

Currently, the approval process for development and project proposals is governed by the environment minister. The EPA plays a key role in advising the government on the environmental acceptability of projects. Under Part IV of the Environmental Protection Act, many new development proposals are referred to the EPA to assess if a formal environmental impact assessment is required. If a formal assessment is conducted, the minister will consider the assessment report and any public opinion which has been expressed before determining if the proposal should be approved.

Among all the current and upcoming proposals, green hydrogen proposals have dominated the current project assessment pipeline, which resonates with the state’s ambition to become a world leader in the green hydrogen industry. The WA government has been supporting the state’s transformation into a significant producer, exporter, and user of renewable hydrogen. The WA Renewable Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap was introduced in November 2020, and identifies 26 initiatives that the WA government is driving to enable the export of renewable hydrogen and the use of domestic production of renewable hydrogen.