The WA government has green lit Woodside’s plan to run its North West Shelf plant for another 50 years, ending a six-year-long approval process and clearing the way for its contentious $30 billion gas project.
In a ministerial statement published on Thursday, Environment Minister Reece Whitby declared the proposal lodged back in 2018 may be implemented, subject to a swathe of conditions.
Woodside has received state government approval for a massive 50-year Karratha gas plant extension. Credit: Cameron Myles/WAtoday
Under the plan, Woodside would be required to undertake a review of operational measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions within 12 months of the approval and then on a five-yearly basis.
The oil and gas giant would also need to lodge a new marine management plan before 2026, document its environmental performance, monitor air quality and consult Murujuga traditional landowners.
The hub on the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia’s north-west is expected to generate 4.3 billion tonnes of emissions over its lifespan, more than 10 times the nation’s current annual total.
The decision comes just weeks after Whitby largely dismissed a record 770 appeals contesting the approval of the plan by the state’s environmental regulator in 2022.
It also follows the WA government’s decision to abandon its emission reduction requirements in favour of handballing responsibility for CO₂ reduction to the Commonwealth to “avoid duplication”.
The move means a final decision on the project will fall to Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.
The state’s Environmental Protection Authority gave the proposal the nod on the condition Woodside gradually decreased its emissions every five years to zero between 2030 and 2050.
The plan to extend the life of Australia’s largest export facility, spanning more than 200 hectares north-west of Karratha, was lodged with the environmental watchdog more than six years ago.
It is a critical part of the $30 billion Browse joint venture between Woodside, BP, Mitsui, Mitsubishi and PetroChina, which hinges on its ability to pipe gas 1000 kilometres from the field to the 40-year-old plant for processing.
Protesters outside Parliament House rallying against the North West Shelf extension earlier this month.Credit: Jesinta Burton.
In August, WAtoday revealed that the EPA’s preliminary view was that the Browse gas export project should not go ahead over the threat it posed to endangered animals and the risk of an oil spill.
Both projects have faced staunch opposition from conservation groups over their environmental impact, from emissions from the $45 billion company’s LNG plants to the erosion of ancient World Heritage nominated Aboriginal rock art.
The WA government has vowed to reach net zero by 2050, but is the only jurisdiction nationally without a 2030 emissions target and where emissions are rising.
But the government has touted the need to balance gas supply security with environmental considerations, with Premier Roger Cook framing the plan as an “opportunity” for WA to secure its energy future.
Cook’s sentiments have also been echoed by Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King.
In a statement released shortly after the approval, Woodside hailed the approval a “critical step” in its broader plan which would provide energy security for decades to come.
Woodside executive vice president and chief operating officer Liz Westcott said the company was committed to meeting all environmental requirements, including the approval conditions and its obligations to traditional owners.
The company has previously said that while confident its referral documents demonstrated its intent to manage the environmental risks, it continued to gather data and monitor advances in best practice mitigation.
The approval has been met with scathing criticism from environmental groups, with Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive Kelly O’Shanassy branding it “irresponsible in the extreme” and the Conservation Council of WA accusing the WA government of failing future generations and “capitulating” to pressure.
Both organisations pleaded with Plibersek to reject the plan.
Green groups had crowned the ruling the nation’s biggest climate decision, one the Conservation Council said represented a test in how governments would confront climate and cultural heritage.
On Thursday, Cook told the media the government was eager to protect the pristine environment, which is why the Browse project was being subjected to a rigorous assessment progress.
But the premier said the role of gas as a smoothing fuel in its clean energy plan and that of economies globally was also an important consideration.
“We are trying to save the planet, not just trying to save Western Australia and this small part of the planet,” he said.
“We know that gas is going to play an important role in helping other countries to get out of coal and to move on their clean energy transition process, and will continue to be an important part of our fuel needs as well as we continue to retire all our coal-fired power stations by 2030.
“It’s a complex process, and it’s important that we step through it carefully.”
The decision coincides with the release of new footage of Scott Reef off WA’s north-west coast amid concerns held by renowned author Tim Winton’s about the impact of drilling for Browse, which lies less than three kilometres from the reef.
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