Yindjibarndi Energy Lodges Baru Marnda Renewable Project Application
Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation has submitted a Development Application for the Baru Marnda Renewable Energy Project, a major hybrid wind, solar and battery storage facility in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation has lodged the Development Application for the Baru Marnda Renewable Energy Project, a proposed hybrid wind, solar and battery storage facility in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The project is located in Yindjibarndi Ngurra, approximately 55 kilometres from Karratha. Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation is a partnership between the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation and the Philippines-based ACEN Corporation.
The application draws together assessment work spanning planning, environment, cultural heritage, water, transport, bushfire, noise, visual impact, aviation and land tenure.
Project scale and technology
The Baru Marnda project proposes a gigawatt-scale renewable energy facility. It includes up to 1,000 megawatts of wind generation and a 500-megawatt solar PV power plant. A battery energy storage system is also part of the plan. This proposed capacity would make Baru Marnda one of Western Australia's largest onshore wind developments.
| Component | Proposed Capacity |
|---|---|
| Wind Generation | Up to 1,000 MW |
| Solar PV | 500 MW |
Grid connection and regional impact
The project is designed to connect to the North West Interconnected System, the isolated grid serving the Pilbara's mining and industrial operations. It will feed renewable energy into this system. This aligns with the Western Australian government's Pilbara Energy Transition Plan. The project aims to help decarbonise local mining and industrial operations.
Indigenous partnership and land tenure
The Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation holds between 25% and 50% project-level equity across Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation's renewable energy projects. Yindjibarndi also retains primary land tenure across the project areas. The corporation was established in 2023.
Broader YEC Pilbara portfolio and timeline
The Baru Marnda application extends a run of project milestones Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation has reached across its Pilbara portfolio over the past 18 months. The company reached financial close on the 150-megawatt Jinbi solar plant in May 2026. It signed a 30-year power purchase agreement with Rio Tinto for that plant.
Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation launched a formal expression of interest process in February 2026. It seeks commercial and industrial customers for renewable energy offtake. The process targets major energy users across mining, minerals processing, heavy industry and hydrogen production.
The company has a target of developing up to 3 gigawatts of wind, solar and storage capacity. This target is to be developed across approximately 13,000 square kilometres of Yindjibarndi Ngurra. Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation has also been awarded Priority Project status for the Chichester Range Corridor. This corridor is one of four priority common-use transmission corridors identified for the Pilbara.
If approved, Baru Marnda is scheduled to begin construction in 2028. Commercial operation is expected in 2031.
