The Australian government has intensified its commitment to renewable energy, granting Major Project Status to two nationally significant large-scale developments poised to create thousands of jobs and inject billions of dollars into the local economy, while advancing the country’s net-zero ambitions.
Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science, Tim Ayres, announced the approvals, stating: “The Albanese government is modernising Australia’s energy system to bring online affordable and renewable energy.
“By granting Major Project Status to key renewable energy initiatives, the Australian government is strengthening its commitments to a cleaner future.
Ayres said that supporting renewable energy projects helps to reinforce and broaden Australia’s domestic supply chains, creates more jobs in regional communities, and draws in additional investment.
He added that awarding Major Project Status to these initiatives represents a significant move toward economic transformation and regional reindustrialisation, which are central goals of the Albanese government’s Future Made in Australia plan.
The first project, the Northern Silica Project north of Cairns, is expected to produce between three and five million tonnes of high-purity silica sand annually for 25 years.
This operation will not only support 120 construction jobs and 90 ongoing roles but will also supply essential materials for the domestic manufacturing of solar panels, silicon wafers, and electronics — key components for Australia’s growing clean-tech sector.
The Bonaparte Carbon Capture and Storage Project, located offshore northwest of Darwin, targets hard-to-abate sectors such as metal and chemical refining.
The facility is designed to reduce industrial emissions and potentially enable the growth of low-carbon industries in the region, providing 370 construction jobs and 40 ongoing positions.
Major Project Status is awarded to initiatives that demonstrate strategic and economic importance to the nation’s “Future Made in Australia” strategy.
The designation provides companies with tailored support to help them navigate Australia’s regulatory landscape, further enabling project delivery at scale.
In addition to announcing new projects, the government has renewed Major Project Status for two key existing developments.
The Australia-Asia Power Link (SunCable) solar energy project, headquartered in Darwin, remains one of the world’s largest renewable energy infrastructure ventures.
It will create over 1,750 construction jobs and 350 long-term operational roles, with the capacity to deliver around 6GW of clean power for domestic and international markets — enough electricity to supply roughly 4.2 million homes.
Also renewed is the Broken Hill Cobalt Blue Project (BHCP), which is set to produce battery-grade cobalt chemicals and establish Australia’s first domestic production of elemental sulphur.
The operation aims to be a pioneer in critical minerals refining and is projected to generate enough material to manufacture batteries for approximately 375,000 electric vehicles annually.
