#Official Energy Thread

[fabricator]

Apparently this will be the largest solar power plant in the country.

Largest in the entire southern hemisphere more like it, currently only Spain and the US have larger (50MW+) solar thermal power stations.

[rhino]

AGL set to start on Hallett wind project
Sarah Martin From: The Advertiser June 08, 2010 4:19PM

ELECTRICITY provider AGL will begin site works for its $120 million Hallett 5 wind farm in the state's mid-north in August, the company says.
AGL Hydro Partnerships, a subsidiary of AGL Energy, has applied for an electricity generation licence for the Bluff wind farm, which is known as stage 5 at Hallett.
The application is for 25 wind turbines on the Porcupine Range, about 10km north-east of Hallett.
The wind farm, which will be the smallest of the five-stage Hallett project, will be able to generate 52 megawatts and will create 120 jobs for the region during the construction phase.
AGL committed to the construction of Hallett 5 in February to meet its obligations under long-term contracts with the South Australian and Victorian desalination plants as well as the recently announced Melbourne Water contract.
This year AGL project manager Tim Knill said changes to the Federal Government's Renewable Energy Target Scheme had cast doubts on the project's viability.
However, the price of renewable energy certificates under the scheme is expected to rebound following the likely removal of credits generated by domestic solar hot water.
As part of the wind farm development process, AGL has obtained its transmission connection agreement with Australian Energy Market Operator.
"We have now applied to ESCOSA for a wind generation licence to ensure the project meets ESCOSA's technical specifications and regulations," an AGL spokesman said yesterday.
AGL say the total capital cost of Hallett 5 is about $120 million. Completion is expected in December 2011.

[Vee]

Apparently this will be the largest solar power plant in the country.

Largest in the entire southern hemisphere more like it, currently only Spain and the US have larger (50MW+) solar thermal power stations.

Any more updates on this project?
I was reminded of our efforts to build a large solar power plant when I read this BBC UK news item about significant developments in the US solar energy industry.

It's especially significant, given that Australia is set to go to the polls later this year and renewable energy/solar power/green initiatives are bound to feature in the campaign.

US to provide nearly $2bn for two solar energy projects
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and ... 500164.stm

Obama will provide nearly $2bn (US) in Gov. loan guarantees to two companies to kick-start the US solar energy industry.
President Obama is fulfilling an election campaign promise to create manufacturing and construction jobs in the green power industry. One of the firms is planning to build the largest solar power plant in the world in Arizona.

"We're going to to keep competing aggressively to make sure the jobs and industries of the future are taking root right here in America" (BBC News 3 July, 2010)

[ricecrackers]

there was an Adelaide University lecture about this technology
there is a professor there who believes that an array of this kind could power the entire country's energy needs with dishes covering an area of the approximate size of Canberra

he is also a big proponent of liquid hydrogen as a more sustainable means of storing generated energy rather than lithium ion batteries.

[rhino]

Geodynamics lines Jalokia 1 well
MEREDITH BOOTH From: The Advertiser October 18, 2010 6:00PM

HOT rocks explorer Geodynamics has completed lining its Jolokia 1 well, near Innamincka in South Australia, in preparation for hydraulic stimulation over the next few days.
The 18cm lining, installed from surface to granite, 4.9km below the surface, is made from material that would withstand the chemistry conditions present in the reservoir, the company said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange yesterday.
Geodynamics shares closed 1c higher at 57.5c yesterday.
The objective of hydraulic stimulation is to create a second underground heat exchanger at Jolokia 1, 9km from the original heat exchanger at its Habanero site.
"Successful fracturing of the granite at Jolokia will confirm that Geodynamics can readily create heat exchangers across its tenement areas and will mark completion of the first milestone in the Deeps forward program announced in April 2010," it said.
The Deeps program is a joint venture with 30 per cent owner Origin Energy Geothermal.

[monotonehell]

*crosses fingers on this one*

[rhino]

Syngas locks in talks with Chinese group for $3bn Adelaide project
VALERINA CHANGARATHIL From: The Advertiser October 27, 2010 10:55AM

ADELAIDE clean fuel firm Syngas has signed an initial agreement with a Chinese company to develop its $3 billion clean diesel production facility at Clinton on the Yorke Peninsula.
Syngas today announced a memorandum of understanding with China National Electric Equipment Corporation (CNEEC) for an 18-month exclusivity period to sign a binding agreement over the engineering, procurement and construction for Clinton.
Syngas shares are trading 271 per cent higher at 5c - a 12-month high - on the announcement.
Once the binding agreement is signed, CNEEC will assist Syngas to identify Chinese sources to fund 85 per cent of the project capital.
Syngas managing director Merrill Gray said the step foreshadowed ``a long-term strategic partnership''.
"This is a very significant step forward for Syngas and the Clinton project. It establishes a clear pathway of development and a project capital funding option to enable the project to move forward.''
"This is now a very real opportunity and it will be much easier to look for 15 per cent funding than 100 per cent,'' Ms Gray said.
Syngas shares are trading 271 per cent higher at 5c - a 12-month high - on the announcement.
An expert working group has been established within CNEEC - which is building the $750 million Latrobe Valley power station near Melbourne, Victoria, with HRL Corporation - to work towards a binding agreements with Syngas.
Syngas, which reported losses of $1.09 million in the last financial year, is also in discussions with a number of private equity funds/potential investors for short-term funding.
The company needs $40 million to complete its bankable feasibility study on the project over the next 24 months.
Cash flow forecasts show the company will need additional funding to meet ongoing expenditure commitments for at least the next 12 months, independent auditor Ernst & Young said in Syngas's 2010 annual report.
The plant is expected to produce 14,600 barrels per day of mainly ultra clean diesel for over thirty years after commencing production in 2015/2016.

[Wayno]

Any idea of the number of jobs created by this project?

[rhino]

Wave Rider awards wave energy project contract to RPG Australia
VALERINA CHANGARATHIL From: The Advertiser November 01, 2010 4:39PM

SOUTH Australia's wave energy potential will be put to the test next year with Wave Rider Energy starting work on its $5 million pilot plant at Elliston on the Eyre Peninsula.
Heavy steel processor and manufacturer RPG Australia - Techport shiplift steel supplier and platform builder and manufacturer of wind farm towers around Australia - has won the first and most important contract to build the large steel structure for the wave project.
RPG will start building the 200-tonne, 110m wide steel structure this month with a target to be in the water next October.
The structure will be built in small modules at RPG's Kilburn facility, with assembly at the Techport precinct before it is lowered into the sea and towed to Elliston. The site for the structure is 800m offshore between Locks Well Beach and Elliston.
The company uses offshore wave energy converter technology, called Wave Rider. It is made up of an open steel truss with numerous buoyancy pontoons. Along the length of the structure, a series of below-surface buoys are fitted that move up and down as a wave passes.
This movement causes the rotation of an axle - connected via a chain system - which drives generators that convert the energy into electricity.
The structure will be fitted with sensors and video cameras for Wave Rider Energy to monitor readings over the next 12-18 months. It will not be connected to the grid during the time.
Wave Rider Energy managing director Christian Gerlach said the project had been "bogged down" by environmental hurdles under federal environment laws, but now had the go-ahead.
"We have completed all the approvals process and the public consultation process. Of course, monitoring of the seabed and other surveys will be ongoing to show that the impact on the environment is negligible," he said.

[rhino]

Wave energy project 'on ice'
VALERINA CHANGARATHIL From: The Advertiser November 15, 2010 6:11PM

A PROPOSED $400 million wave energy project at Port MacDonnell in South Australia has been "put on ice" due to lack of funding.
Carnegie Wave Energy was licensed by the State Government to test its technology on a 17,000ha stretch of seabed for an initial three-year period in February, 2009.
Carnegie Wave managing director Dr Michael Ottaviano said the company was keen to do more, but was looking for government funding.
"Our planned 50MW project was put on ice after we missed out on a Federal Government grant last year,'' he said.
"We are still doing desktop work on the Port MacDonnell site and are keen to do more,'' Dr Ottaviano said.
The Perth-based listed entity has, since the start of this year, been working on a site close to home to test its CETO technology after the WA Government committed $12.5 million in funding.
CETO technology uses the movement of buoys anchored on the ocean floor to drive onshore turbines. Wave motion moves the buoys, driving the pumps and delivering pressurised water to the shore to generate electricity.
Carnegie also has wave energy licences in Victoria and New South Wales.
Initial plans were for Carnegie to complete a small-scale (5-6 MW) plant by 2011 and link up a 50MW plant to the national grid by 2013.
Meanwhile, another company, Wave Rider Energy which uses offshore wave energy converter technology is working on its $5 million plant at Elliston. Heavy steel processor and manufacturer RPG Australia is building the 200-tonne, 110m wide steel structure expected to be in the water by October, 2011.

[Wayno]

Beach Energy announces plans for billion-dollar LNG facility in South Australia

A billion-dollar liquefied natural gas facility is being planned for South Australia, potentially creating thousands of jobs and billions in revenues.

South Australian oil and gas explorer Beach Energy announced today it was reviewing potential sites for the 1 million tonnes per annum facility after talks with the South Australian government.

Together with Japanese partner ITOCHU Corporation, Beach plans to set up a mid-scale plant that would create "thousands of jobs" in the development stage and hundreds during its operational phase.

It is intended that this facility would be supplied from Beach's extensive gas portfolio, which includes both conventional and unconventional gas resources.

It has more than 1.4 trillion cubic feet of gas resources booked in the Cooper Basin and Victoria and is currently pursuing an aggressive shale gas program in the Cooper Basin to identify further gas reserves.

The proposed LNG facility and offloading terminal would have a capacity of 1 million tonnes per annum. A facility of this scale would require approximately 60 petajoules of gas per annum and depending on location specifics, capital expenditure of about $1 billion.

It is intended that the LNG from this facility would be exported into Far-East markets, including Japan.

Beach Managing Director, Reg Nelson, said "South Australia appears to be an excellent choice for a future LNG facility, and such a project would generate significant employment for the state."

"From a revenue perspective, we anticipate this project has the capacity to generate many billions of dollars should a long-term contract be executed. Importantly an opportunity such as this will further accelerate the next phase of the Cooper Basin as one of Australia's major sources of long-term gas supply".

[mattblack]

Beach Energy announces plans for billion-dollar LNG facility in South Australia

A billion-dollar liquefied natural gas facility is being planned for South Australia, potentially creating thousands of jobs and billions in revenues.

South Australian oil and gas explorer Beach Energy announced today it was reviewing potential sites for the 1 million tonnes per annum facility after talks with the South Australian government.

Together with Japanese partner ITOCHU Corporation, Beach plans to set up a mid-scale plant that would create "thousands of jobs" in the development stage and hundreds during its operational phase.

It is intended that this facility would be supplied from Beach's extensive gas portfolio, which includes both conventional and unconventional gas resources.

It has more than 1.4 trillion cubic feet of gas resources booked in the Cooper Basin and Victoria and is currently pursuing an aggressive shale gas program in the Cooper Basin to identify further gas reserves.

The proposed LNG facility and offloading terminal would have a capacity of 1 million tonnes per annum. A facility of this scale would require approximately 60 petajoules of gas per annum and depending on location specifics, capital expenditure of about $1 billion.

It is intended that the LNG from this facility would be exported into Far-East markets, including Japan.

Beach Managing Director, Reg Nelson, said "South Australia appears to be an excellent choice for a future LNG facility, and such a project would generate significant employment for the state."

"From a revenue perspective, we anticipate this project has the capacity to generate many billions of dollars should a long-term contract be executed. Importantly an opportunity such as this will further accelerate the next phase of the Cooper Basin as one of Australia's major sources of long-term gas supply".

, This along with the $Trillion potential in Woomera zone, $Billion Olympic Dam + all the other mines, Energy potential coming out our arse. Dont know if this will all come true but I still cant believe that we're talking about South Australia here, just seems so promising.

[Wayno]

Hey Rhino, yes - Pt Lowly makes sense - it's the closest port location.

For the uninitiated, the Cooper Basin is mostly split across SA & QLD (also touches NSW & NT). See the map below. Imagine running a pipeline to Pt Lowly near Whyalla - we're talking 650-700km or so.

cooper-basin.jpg (44.15 KiB) Viewed 5081 times

See the RED sections, luckily the most intensive gas reserves are on the SA side of the border!

cooper-basin-gas.jpg (44.22 KiB) Viewed 5079 times

[Waewick]

fantastic news IF true

hopefully with all the other good news - I just hope we have the planning at state level to manage it correctly.

[rhino]

Imagine running a pipeline to Pt Lowly near Whyalla - we're talking 650-700km or so.

Aready been done though - there's one that goes from Moomba to Point Lowly, but I'm not sure what's in it.

EDIT: It's liquified gas pipeline and it's 659km long. Owned by Epic Energy and leased to SANTOS, I believe. I guess this means that Beach have to build their own?