TE H2 Withdraws Court Bid for Wak Wak Solar Project Native Title Claims
TE H2 has decided to retract its application aiming to negate native title claims on land planned for the Wak Wak solar initiative in the Northern Territory. This decision was made on February 12, following the company’s past declaration that the move was intended to identify the legitimate landowners.
The ambitious Wak Wak solar project is set to boast a 2.7 gigawatt (GW) solar farm coupled with a 6 gigawatt hour (GWh) battery installation located on Koolpinyah station, a pastoral lease near Humpty Doo, approximately 48km south of Darwin. TE H2 has its sights set on commencing construction by 2028 and envisions the site as a power source for a forthcoming hydrogen facility in Darwin’s Middle Arm industrial precinct.
Collaboration with Indigenous Groups
The withdrawal was prompted by TE H2’s collaboration with the Northern Land Council (NLC) to pinpoint the rightful native title party, as reported by ABC, with managing director Kam Ho clarifying their intentions.
The application submitted in late November had generated significant localdiscontent, as many residents questioned how a major corporation could fail to engage with the correct stakeholders after spending over two and a half years in the region.
Reactions to the Withdrawal
The NLC expressed disappointment regarding the application, and local community member Nigel Brown, a Wulna and Larrakia man and CEO of Aboriginal Investment NT, mentioned that the news caught them off guard. Rontheo van Zyl, TE H2’s head of H2 development, explained to Renew Economy that this procedural move was necessary to ensure dialogue with the appropriate entities.
Both Brown and van Zyl, along with representatives from the NLC, have been approached for further comments. However, Brown conveyed on LinkedIn that “now the work begins” in terms of establishing the next steps.
The sizeable $2.8 billion Wak Wak project will be strategically located almost directly above the proposed AAPowerlink transmission line, which aims to transport electricity from Suncable’s expansive 20 GW solar project situated deep within the Northern Territory to Darwin, ultimately facilitating energy transfer to Asia.
