The Northern Territory government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Larrakia Energy and Korea Midland Power to develop a new, large-scale solar energy project at its controversial Middle Arm precinct on Darwin harbour.
The precinct's plans include a major gas manufacturing hub as well as petrochemicals, hydrogen and minerals facilities designed to support the planned large-scale expansion of the NT gas sector.
The Labor-led government is adamant the hub is gamechanger for the NT and would position it as a "renewable energy powerhouse", despite the precinct also hosting LNG export plants.
This week's two-year supply arrangement between Larrakia and Korea Midland Power would see the pair work on the industrial precinct's Green Energy Project.
The project includes scoping, building and operating 300 megawatts of solar power on land next to the Middle Arm site.
The Albanese government has committed $1.5 billion to construct new port infrastructure on Darwin harbour for the Middle Arm precinct, which it described in government documents as a gas production and export hub, despite the project being labelled a "sustainable development precinct" by both state and federal governments.
On Tuesday at a National Press Club address, NT chief minister Natasha Fyles accused the "teals (Independents) and trolls" of trying to shut down the Middle Arm development, which she insisted would "create opportunities for energy transition, exports and jobs".
"The teals and the trolls can spread their nonsense about it all they want but they should know it's going to take a lot more than a couple of tweets for us to back down," she said.
"This is part of the same simplistic and misleading scare campaign we see about the role of natural gas in the Territory, mostly led by people living thousands of kilometres away from us."
Larrakia Traditional Owners in May raised significant concerns about the impact of the harbour development on First Nations rock art in the region.
The ancient petroglyphs, which are located near the proposed site, are the city's only known remaining Indigenous rock art.
The Middle Arm precinct currently houses the Santos and Ichthys LNG export terminals and in June the NT government awarded land to anchor tenant Tamboran Resources, a Beetaloo Basin gas company that plans to use the site to build its own LNG export plant.
Other awardees were Total Eran and Fortescue Future Industries, which want to set up green hydrogen manufacturing at Middle Arm, Tivan which wants to develop vanadium oxides, and battery company Avenira.
NT infrastructure, planning and logistics minister Eva Lawler said the latest MOU was evidence the government was taking opportunities to help create 20,000 local jobs and reach its target of a $40 billion economy by 2030.
"The Green Energy Project has the potential to create thousands of jobs and increase our sustainable energy production for countless years to come," she said.
"Our focus on clean energy will drive us long into the future as we become leaders in the green energy sector."
Larrakia Development Corporation CEO Nigel Browne said the MOU was a crucial step to building the NT's renewables future.
"We are bringing together the resources and goodwill needed to lower emissions and care for Country, on Larrakia Country," he said.
