InterContinental Energy was formed in 2014 by investment and strategy specialist Alicia Eastman, now the company’s president, and CEO Alex Tancock, a renewable energy industry veteran with the likes of E.ON and CWP.

InterContinental Energy is advancing four projects – three of them in the public domain and the fourth set to be another mega-development when it is unveiled, given the total 150GW portfolio cited.

The Asian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH)

Originally conceived as a renewable power source for Indonesia via a subsea cable, the $36bn AREH now aims to produce green hydrogen and ammonia from 26GW of wind and solar linked to 14GW of electrolysers in Pilbara, Western Australia.

Partners in the project include CWP Asia, wind group Vestas and Macquarie, with a plan to start production in 2027.

The AREH hit a setback earlier in 2021 when the Australian government rejected its plans on environmental grounds. ICE said then it would “engage further with the minister and her department as we continue to work on the detailed design and engineering aspects of the project”.

Green Energy Oman (GEO)

Unveiled in May 2021, GEO plans to build 25GW of wind and solar to turn the Middle East state into a global hub for green hydrogen and ammonia.

InterContinental Energy’s partners in GEO include Oman’s state energy company OQ, and Kuwait-based Enertech.

The consortium told Recharge the first phase of the project will account for about one-third of the capacity at an investment cost around $10bn. A final investment decision on the initial stage is expected in 2026 with first sales two years later.

The full 25GW renewable build-out, powering an expected 14GW of electrolyser capacity, is not envisaged until 2038.

Western Green Energy Hub (WGEH)

InterContinental Energy’s most ambitious plan – and a contender for world’s largest renewable energy project – was made public in July as the $70bn, 50GW WGEH broke cover, also in Western Australia. Partners in the project include CWP Global and the Mirning People, the latter representing the indigenous population.

The area is said to have an "optimal diurnal profile of windy at night and sunny during the day", with an expected 70% delivered capacity factor.

'World's best wind and solar': 150GW desert green hydrogen plans no mirage, says InterContinental Energy