Mid West Clean Energy Project
Mid West Clean Energy Project (MWCEP)
The project proponent is evaluating progressing the development of a natural gas reforming process with integrated CO2 storage and renewables-powered hydrogen production and ammonia export complex in the mid-west region of Western Australia.
| Main proponents:
Pilot Energy |
Main end-use classification:
Export focussed – ammonia production |
Status:
Under development |
Estimated cost:
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| Other involvement:
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Production details:
Hydrogen production using natural gas reforming process with over one million tonnes per annum of integrated excess carbon storage capacity for third party use and renewables-powered hydrogen to initially produce up to 175,000 tonnes per annum of low-carbon hydrogen. Expansions are targeting up to 450,000 tonnes per annum. |
Location:
Western Australia, Australia |
Announced funding:
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Project description
The Mid West Clean Energy Project comprises two major developments – the Cliff Head Carbon Storage Facility and the Mid West Clean Ammonia Export Plant.
- The Ammonia Export plant is a clean ammonia export project aiming to produce up to 1 million tonnes per annum of clean ammonia from up to 175,000 tonnes per annum of hydrogen production, with a targeted production start date of 2029.
- The Cliff Head Carbon Storage Facility is a fully integrated CO2 storage operation through the conversion of the operating Cliff Head offshore oil field (which is located 120 kilometres south of Geraldton, 12 kilometres off the mid-west coast of Western Australia). Carbon capture and storage enables the production of blue hydrogen and ammonia. The project would be designed to incorporate the supply of hydrogen into the Western Australian domestic market.
In June 2024, the project proponent announced that the MWCEP had received Declaration of Greenhouse Gas Storage Formation for the Cliff Head CO2 Storage Project Pilot (which forms part of the overall MWCEP). The release also indicates that with the receipt of the Declaration, the project can procced to further phases of development planning, including traditional owner and stakeholder engagement, CO2 storage project FEED and final selection of hydrogen and ammonia technology partners.
In July 2024, the project proponent announced that a consortium (the “K-Consortium”) comprising Korea’s major power generation companies (“Gencos”) and energy companies (“Energycos”) has been formed to review equity participation in the MWCEP, currently being solely developed by Pilot. The release notes that the K-Consortium wishes to respond to the Korean hydrogen power generation auction market by securing ammonia offtake from the Project.
In October 2024, Pilot Energy announced that it has been approved as a clean ammonia supplier by the Korean Energy Economics Institute under the Korean Clean Hydrogen certification scheme. Pilot noted it is targeting to supply a consortium of Korean companies (see announcement of July 2024) with approximately 1 million tonnes per annum of clean ammonia from its Mid West Clean Energy Project for co-firing in existing coal-fired power plants and industrial consumption.
In November 2024, Pilot Energy announced that a partner of the previously announced Korean Consortium (K-Consortium- see announcement of July 2024) has received funding support for the Mid West Clean Energy Project. The release noted that Korea Southern Power Co., Ltd. (KOSPO) has secured 2 billion Korean Won (approximately AUD$2.2 million) funding from the Korea Export-Import Bank to support their feasibility study of the Mid West Clean Energy Project.
In January 2025, Pilot Energy announced that the Korea Consortium is actively engaged with Pilot in seeking to enter into a project development agreement (PDA) to secure equity participation in, and offtake from, the Mid West Clean Energy Project.
In its Annual Report 2024, released in December 2024, Pilot Energy noted that it had completed pre-FEED for all elements of the Mid West Clean Energy Project and was in the process of making the final technology selection and basis of design for the project with the view to commencing FEED in the first half of 2025 (the project proponent has advised FEED commencement is likely in early second half 2025). The Annual Report also notes that Pilot Energy was progressing accumulating a portfolio of sites in close to immediate proximity to the clean ammonia plant site to support the installation of a renewable power micro-grid to power the ammonia plant, the carbon storage facilities and all balance of plant and ancillary utility services required.
Reviewed (reviewed by the project proponent): March 2025