A plan for what would be Western Australia's largest gas-fired power station is now open for public comment. The comment period runs only until this Sunday, 1 November 2026.
Energy company APA wants to build the Keralup Energy Hub on bushland between Rockingham and Mandurah. The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is asking the public whether the proposal should be formally assessed, and if so, at what level.
What is being proposed
The EPA referral describes two gas-fuelled power supplies on Lot 9501 Keralup, in the City of Rockingham, with supporting infrastructure on a lot in the Shire of Murray. The EPA puts the site about 53 kilometres south of Perth.
- A temporary 210 megawatt plant, run as an islanded network for "a potential future industrial client". The ABC reports this is a proposed bio-fertiliser production facility.
- A permanent 660 megawatt plant with a battery energy storage system, connected to the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), Perth's main grid.
The project would disturb 281 hectares within a 452.4-hectare development envelope. That includes clearing 251.1 hectares of native vegetation.
Photo: Calistemon via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). File photo of the existing Kwinana Power Station, not the Keralup site.
Bigger than anything on the grid now
According to the ABC, the combined 870MW would make Keralup the state's biggest gas power station. WA's current largest, Pinjar, has 576MW of capacity, and the upgraded Kwinana Swift station will be able to generate 340MW.
The referral went up on 26 October, the same day the State Government announced a target of 75 per cent renewable energy on the SWIS within five years, up from about 40 per cent now. Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson told the ABC she did not want to pre-empt the approvals process.
"We will become a renewable energy powerhouse." - Amber-Jade Sanderson, Energy Minister
Greens climate spokesperson Sophie McNeill said the government should stop approving new gas projects, including Keralup, which she said would have "shocking climate consequences".
How to have your say
This is a seven-day comment period on the referral. At this stage the EPA only wants views on whether the project should be assessed and at what level. It is not yet deciding whether to approve it. Submissions can be made through the EPA consultation hub until 1 November. The referral documents are on the EPA website.
The comment period was flagged on r/perth on Thursday.
Photo: Calistemon via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). The Serpentine River at Keralup, September 2026.
Sources: Environmental Protection Authority WA consultation hub, ABC News, r/perth.
Photo (top): Calistemon via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Bushland in the Keralup area, 2019.
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