Aboriginal backing for $3b Kimberley hydrogen project

afr.com:

A proposal for a $3 billion green hydrogen project in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia will be unveiled on Tuesday, with strong participation from two Indigenous communities that will have significant direct stakes in the venture.

The East Kimberley Clean Energy Project, involving a giant 950-megawatt solar farm, is being hailed by climate change investment and advisory firm Pollination as a landmark project. It involves a first-of-its-kind equity partnership with traditional owners of the land where it will be built, which should also mean an unusually rapid development schedule.

The project will involve building a large solar farm and hydrogen plant near Kununurra. 

MG Corporation, representing the Miriuwung and Gajerron people, and Balanggarra Aboriginal Corporation will each own one-third of the project, as will Pollination, meaning they are shareholders rather than just stakeholders.

The venture is also the first direct investment of Pollination into a decarbonisation project, and comes after the advisory firm secured a $US50 million ($73.4 million) cornerstone investment from ANZ Banking Group in February last year.

Rob Grant, head of projects at Pollination, said the significant involvement of the traditional owner groups directly in the project would be crucial for approvals and consent, and allow for “a just, ambitious and achievable” vision for Australia’s clean energy future.

“Certainly in the Western Australian environment, the ability to develop and deliver the scale of renewable energy projects that is going to be needed for decarbonising the Australian economy won’t happen unless we have this sort of model in place, where the First Nations groups are placed as shareholders rather than