Project Meridien Aims for 94% Renewable Energy as Debate Continues Over Gas Supply

The proposed Project Meridien data centre development is expected to be powered primarily by renewable energy, with developers aiming to increase renewable generation to as much as 94 per cent of the facility’s energy needs as the project expands.

According to Jop van Hattum, Chief Executive of Gingerah, the project, targeted for delivery by 2030, will initially operate using a combination of solar power, battery storage, gas generation, and later wind energy.

Van Hattum said renewable sources are expected to provide more than 85 per cent of the project’s electricity requirements during its initial stages.

“We target for that renewable energy capacity to increase to 94 per cent,” he said.

The project is ultimately planned to reach a total capacity of one gigawatt, making it one of the largest energy-intensive developments proposed for the region.

The remaining energy demand would initially be supported by natural gas, which Van Hattum said would most likely be sourced from Karratha through Western Australia’s domestic gas market.

Environmental groups have raised concerns about where the gas supply may eventually come from, with some suggesting the project could encourage future gas production through hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, in the **Kimberley region.

While there is currently no ban on fracking within the Canning Basin, no projects have yet received all necessary approvals to proceed.

Critics of fracking argue that the practice can pose environmental risks, including potential groundwater contamination and increased greenhouse gas emissions.

However, Van Hattum stressed that the project’s gas requirements would be sourced from the existing domestic market and indicated that Gingerah’s long-term objective is to reduce reliance on gas altogether.

“As energy storage systems and technology improve and costs reduce, our preference would obviously be to be free of the gas and use those technologies to make the project fully carbon-free if we can,” he said.

Supporters of the development argue that combining large-scale renewable energy generation with battery storage offers a pathway to significantly reducing emissions while maintaining the reliable electricity supply required for major data centre operations.