Oil and gas giant BP has offered a glimmer of hope to its WA renewable projects portfolio one year after cutting investment in the global green energy transition.
Oil and gas giant BP has offered a glimmer of hope to its WA renewable projects portfolio one year after cutting investment in the global green energy transition.
The company in December transferred about 6,000 hectares of land near Mullewa from subsidiary BP Low Carbon Australia into renewable energy project vehicle Lightsource BP.
Lightsource BP is progressing the 14-gigawatt Geraldton Export-scale Renewable Investment project, which would use a mix of wind and solar generation to produce green hydrogen at the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area.
The state government has allocated BP 220ha at Oakajee to produce green hydrogen.
Some 8,000 hectares of land is still held by BP Low Carbon, according to Cotality.
Lightsource now has 27,500ha under management.
Phase one of GERI would see 3GW of wind and solar power established for hydrogen production.
BP intends to make a decision on building GERI by 2029.
The progression of GERI is the first sign of confidence in WA renewable energy since BP pivoted back towards fossil fuels in early 2025.
BP exited the $55bn Australian Renewable Energy Hub in the Pilbara last year and its $1bn biofuels plant in Kwinana has been on ice since the start of 2025.
GERI is the third-largest renewable energy project planned in WA, and the largest within close proximity to existing power grids.
The project was touted as key to BP’s efforts to reach net-zero since 2050.
In February last year the company slashed investment in renewable energy to $2bn while boosting planned spending on fossil fuels to $10bn per year.
BP is awaiting the arrival of its new chief executive, former Woodside boss Meg O’Neill, in April.
Woodside is the largest owner of WA farmland among resources companies, with 22,000ha under management, according to Cotality data.
