Western Australia’s energy transition has reached a major milestone as the government announces a series of agreements to buy over one gigawatt of onshore wind energy from soon-to-be-built wind farms.
In a step toward the 2030 exit from state-owned coal, government utilities Synergy and Water Corporation have signed long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with major renewable developers.
The projects are expected to generate enough clean electricity to power more than 800,000 Western Australian homes annually.
WA Premier Roger Cook hailed the milestone as a definitive turn toward a renewable energy powerhouse economy.
“My government made the decision to get out of state-owned coal by 2030, and this is an important step toward making that happen,” Cook said.
“By securing more affordable, reliable and clean energy while creating new jobs in construction, manufacturing and technology, my government can deliver its priority of diversifying our state’s economy and making it a renewable energy powerhouse.”
Synergy agreed to buy renewable energy from the following projects once commissioned:
- Parron Maam Marang Farm: A 470-megawatt (MW) project by Zephyr Energy expected online by late 2028.
- Kondinin Wind Farm: A 130MW venture between Shell Energy and Foresight Group, also slated for late 2028.
- Marri Wind Farm: A 550MW Alinta Energy project, from which Water Corporation will procure 330MW starting in 2029 to power essential desalination plants.
These agreements follow last year’s deal for the Warradarge Wind Farm Stage 2, which is on track to supply households by 2027.
Together, the projects exceed the government’s initial commitment of 810MW of new wind generation.
Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the transition to a renewable energy system will be backed by storage and gas.
Meanwhile, Water Minister Don Punch noted that using wind to power desalination is critical for meeting the Water Corporation’s net-zero targets.
“By sourcing clean, renewable power from what will become the state’s largest wind farm, we are ensuring essential desalination facilities operate in a way that is both responsible and sustainable.”