PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Australian Pacific liquefied natural gas (APLNG) project has been plugged into the Queensland power grid, with the final connection to provider Powerlink’s transmission network occurring this week.
The new high-voltage electricity infrastructure was now powering three APLNG gas-processing facilities delivering coal seam gas into the 530 km pipeline to its LNG facility on Curtis Island.
Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt said on Wednesday that it was estimated that electricity demand in the North West Surat would increase from about 100 MW to 600 MW before 2016, more than peak demand for the whole Sunshine Coast and surrounding hinterland.
“To meet this need, Powerlink entered into commercial agreements with APLNG and Santos Gladstone LNG to deliver 200 km of transmission line and seven substations, with all costs paid for by the customers requesting the connections.”
Pitt noted that the A$60-billion Queensland gas industry was a major source of employment in the state and added that Powerlink’s delivery of electricity to the APLNG project was helping to secure jobs and support the state’s ongoing economic growth.
“This construction work has also had a major impact at the local level, with more than A$20-million injected into local businesses and service providers in the region so far this year.”
“Establishing the new high-voltage electricity transmission network in the North West Surat basin facilitated the long-term viability of the resources sector,” the Treasurer added.
The $24.7-billion APLNG project would comprise two processing trains, each with a 4.5-million-tonne-a-year nameplate production capacity.
First LNG exports were scheduled to start in the second half of this year.