He also accused Mr Kean of hypocrisy in calling for a national coal and gas reserve at a time when the state had not yet tapped its own reserves. On Friday, South Australian Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis blasted NSW for delays at the project and called it a “national disgrace” that it was not yet producing gas. News of the planning hurdles come as the project has emerged as a flashpoint for a growing energy war between the states as NSW calls for a national coal and gas reserve, which other states have balked at. The company says it took until October 2021 for court appeals against the project to be concluded and, since then, it has developed almost 30 different management plans for approval by the NSW government so that drilling can start. Mr Griffin said Santos was still providing more reports to the department as required by the conditions of its planning approval. “The energy generated in these renewable energy zones will not only benefit NSW, but all the states of the NEM.” “NSW is leading the nation through its Electricity Roadmap, including delivering at least 12GW of new renewable generation and 2GW of storage through five renewable energy zones,” Mr Griffin said. When asked about the status of the Narrabri project and the time taken for the government to sign off on the management reports, acting NSW Energy Minister James Griffin emphasised the state’s investment in renewables. The IPC received 23,000-plus submissions opposing the project, with key concerns including the risks the gas extraction could cause to the Great Artesian Basin and other aquifers that water surrounding farmlands. The project’s plan involves drilling 850 wells to extract about 1500 petajoules of gas. An energy expert familiar with the project said there was an expectation in the sector that the NSW planning process takes twice as long as for similar projects in Queensland. The long lead time at the project has also thrown differences in planning laws around the country into sharp relief. “We will continue to work with the NSW and federal governments to get the regulatory certainty and approvals we need to deliver Narrabri gas as soon as possible.” Concerns over gas extraction “We’re working as hard as we can to start drilling for the appraisal phase of the Narrabri Gas Project next month because the best way to put downward pressure on gas and electricity prices is to encourage the private sector to. “Since 2012, Santos has spent more than $1.5 billion trying to get our Narrabri Gas Project approved and developed – a project that is 100 per cent committed to the domestic gas market,” a company spokesperson said. But the company says it has responded to the government’s conditions and is now waiting for it to approve 13 outstanding management plans. The company then faced legal challenges to the project, which were concluded in October 2021.Īs Santos prepares to start drilling next month as part of the project’s appraisal stage, the state government has said it is waiting on the gas giant to respond to the conditions contained in its IPC approval. The NSW Independent Planning Commission granted the gas giant approval to develop the Narrabri resource in September 2020, in a decision that also placed 134 conditions on the development. Plans by Santos to begin drilling at its $3.5 billion Narrabri Gas Project next month are in limbo until the NSW government signs off on 13 separate risk management plans submitted almost a year ago.Īs NSW Energy Minister Matt Kean urges the federal government to implement a national coal and gas reserve to shore up supply for the local market, the state’s biggest gas project remains mired in planning hurdles.Ī Santos worker looks on at the company’s Wilga Park power station in Narrabri.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |