Industry News

Assessment of Network Outage Event on 30 November 2023 - Power and Water Corporation

The Commission has published an assessment under clause 5.4.4 of the Electricity Industry Performance Code for the purpose of verifying that a network outage event in the Alice Springs region on 30 November 2023 was outside of Power and Water Corporation’s control, and therefore able to be excluded from its network performance reporting and guaranteed service level payments.

On 30 November 2023, a thunderstorm resulted in prolonged network outages for customers connected to the Alice Springs network. Power and Water Corporation notified the Commission and submitted a report in accordance with the requirements of the Electricity Industry Performance Code. The report proposed to exclude the events commencing on 30 November 2023 from adjusted category performance reporting and guaranteed service level payments.

The Commission has verified the network outage event was due to a natural event and is a statistical outlier, and was therefore outside the control of Power and Water Corporation. As such, the Commission considers the event an excluded event for the purpose of the Electricity Industry Performance Code.

Source: Utilities Commission of the Northern Territory

Central Petroleum’s Managing Director and CEO, Leon Devaney and CFO Damian Galvin have provided an update, including Central's half year results in an online presentation today.
 
To watch the presentation and Q&A session, click here.

The presentation is available here.

Source: Central Petroleum

ABC’s Country Hour has interviewed Central Petroleum’s Managing Director and CEO, Leon Devaney regarding the dynamic state of the Northern Territory’s gas supply. This follows the recent suspension of the Northern Gas Pipeline which connects the Northern Territory to eastern gas markets.
 
To hear the full interview, click here

You can read the ABC online news article here.

Source: Central Petroleum

The Territory Labor Government is backing local businesses and creating jobs with the Advanced Manufacturing Ecosystem Fund (AMEF).

The AMEF has spurred manufacturing activity and investment that is expected to create over 160 new jobs and generate over $84 million for the Territory’s economy in its first five years.

Water quality testing efficiency in remote areas of the Northern Territory will improve as part of a new, innovative project being led by a Darwin business.

Think Water, based in Coolalinga, is collaborating with environmental technology business, Eco Detection, and Darwin-based tank manufacturer, Terracorp Industries, to commercialise a water testing system which will address water testing issues, such as bacteria and heavy metals that collectively are present in more than 400 communities across Australia.

The collaboration will bring together Eco Detection’s award-winning Ion-Q+ monitor, a filtration system from Think Water, and a water storage tank manufactured by Terracorp Industries.

Three integrated prototype systems will then undergo six-month trials at three different remote locations to determine the effectiveness and suitability for remote regions.

The innovative project has been awarded $485,000 in co-investment through the Northern Territory’s Advanced Manufacturing Ecosystem Fund, administered by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC).

After successful commercialisation, 15 per cent (by value) of Melbourne-based Eco Detection’s Ion-Q+ electronic systems will be produced in the Territory, scaling up to 70 per cent assembly of the electronics in the NT in four years.

Think Water estimates the generation of revenue of $30 million and the creation of 45 jobs within five years of project completion.

It’s anticipated that testing in the demanding climates of the Northern Territory will provide certainty for not only other domestic customers, but international prospects as well.

For more information on the Advanced Manufacturing Ecosystem Fund please visit: https://www.amgc.org.au/projects/.

Quotes attributable to Chief Minister, Eva Lawler:

“The Territory Labor Government is attracting new innovative projects which get the Territory working and develop our communities – this is exactly what Think Water accomplishes.

Through this partnership, the Advanced Manufacturing Ecosystem Fund (AMEF) was established, in a bid to improve the Northern Territory’s advanced manufacturing capabilities and capacities.

Nine businesses have now been awarded co-investment across Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs throughout a range of industries, including heavy machinery equipment, construction and carpentry.

Quotes attributable to Think Water Darwin Managing Director, Adam Stockwell:

“Clean drinking water is a fundamental requirement of life. What we aim to do with this project is develop a product suite that provides better visibility for residents and governments about the quality of the water they are being provided.

“In partnership with Eco Detect and Terracorp, we aim to take the guess work out of water quality to improve the lives of thousands of Australians and potentially more abroad via an always on monitoring solution.”

Quotes attributable to Eco Detection CEO, Jefferson Harcourt:

“We are excited to be making a real impact with our technology and help remote communities have access to safe water that is tested continuously for harmful nitrates and other pollutants.

“We will test every last drop and make this data available to the local community and the Department of Health. It’s an enormous issue – there are over 400 remote communities across the nation that don’t have access to safe drinking water right now.”

Quotes attributable to AMGC Northern Territory Director Charmaine Phillips:

“Intermittent water sampling is not perfect, but it becomes even less so if what’s being sampled is in a remote community, which is a considerable drive from the lab.

“This exciting project will automate testing, allow service providers to proactively monitor water quality, intervene earlier, and boost the creation of high-skilled manufacturing jobs in the NT. That’s wins all-around.”

Source: Northern Territory Government newsoom

Central Petroleum has been advised that the Northern Gas Pipeline will be closed until June 2024, interrupting delivery of gas to east coast customers.

As with previous outages, Central continues to supply gas to customers in the Northern Territory and is working with key stakeholders and customers in the NT to re-contract this gas to NT customers.

To read the full release, click here

Source: Central Petroleum

Diversifying and growing the Territory’s economy is a key focus of the Territory Labor Government.

Another sector the Territory Government is targeting to get Territorians trained and working in is the drone industry.

The drone industry has experienced significant growth over recent years with the global market, representing the revenue from drone sales, components and related services, estimated to be worth US$30 billion in 2022.

A mature drone industry has the potential to increase productivity and economic participation across all sectors and presents significant opportunities in regional and remote areas of the Territory.

The draft Northern Territory Drone Industry Strategy is open for consultation, and sets out a framework to drive the development of drone technologies to enhance traditional industries, deliver economic benefits and transform service delivery, including:

• Industry growth: work with industry to sustainably grow the NT drone industry.

• Education, training and workforce development: work with research and educational organisations to develop a skilled workforce required for the NT drone industry.

• Regulation and government settings: work with all levels of government to establish a regulatory environment that enables drone industry growth.

• Community and recreation: work with the public to increase awareness of and recreational use of drones. 

To find out more and to have your say on the Northern Territory Drone Industry Strategy visit https://haveyoursay.nt.gov.au/

Quotes attributable to Chief Minister and Minister for Industry and Trade, Eva Lawler:

“The Territory Labor Government will always seek out opportunities to expand our economic market, which creates working and training opportunities for Territorians.

“The Territory is well positioned to become a leader in the drone industry with our vast open landscapes, proximity to growth markets and strong research capabilities.

“With demand for drones set to rapidly increase due to technology becoming more advanced, accessible and cost effective, increased uptake of drones will enhance productivity across many the Territory’s key sectors including mining, agriculture and tourism. I encourage all Territorians to have their say on the draft NT Drone Industry Strategy and help shape the future of this exciting industry in the Territory."

Source: Northern Territory Government Newsroom

UGL, a member of the CIMIC Group, has been awarded a contract with leading energy company Santos, which will generate up to 100 new jobs in the Northern Territory.

UGL will provide brownfields construction services for Santos’ Darwin LNG Life Extension project. 

Works for this contract will commence immediately with up to 100 jobs to be generated through the life of the project.

This new contract further strengthens UGL’s presence within the Northern Territory and follows our announcement in August 2023 of a contract with the Department of Defence to provide strategic advice, planning, supply management, operations, and maintenance for the Australian Defence Force’s fuel network, which also has a presence in the Northern Territory. 

UGL is committed to, and will focus on, Aboriginal engagement, local employment, local supplier capability, and providing value to the communities in which we work.

CIMIC Executive Chairman Juan Santamaria said: “UGL has a strong history of working with the world’s largest energy companies, as a leading provider of critical services to the energy sector, and we are pleased to support Santos on this project.”

UGL Managing Director Doug Moss said: “UGL is looking forward to supporting the broader community through providing opportunities for local employment and local businesses to support the project.” 

Source: UGL

Applications are now open for Round 17 of the Territory Labor Government’s Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations program with up to $3 million in grants available to advance exploration.

This comes as mineral exploration expenditure in the Territory reached a record $74.4 million in the September quarter of 2023, up 30% from the previous year.

Part of the $9.5 million Resourcing the Territory program, these grants aim to address geoscientific knowledge gaps, advance exploration activity and support the discovery and development of resources in the Territory.

More than half of the $3 million funding pool will be directed towards projects targeting commodities on the NT’s critical minerals list, which has recently seen an addition of two new critical minerals.

Gallium and Graphite increase the number of critical minerals in the NT from 15 to 17, and with global demand rapidly growing for critical minerals this presents a huge economic opportunity.

Gallium is a sliver-white metal which has a multitude of uses including in integrated circuits, lasers and LEDs. This new critical mineral has recently been identified in newly discovered rare earth and graphite deposits in the NT and is an important addition to the portfolio of the NT’s resources.

Graphite is an Iron-black mineral which also has a multitude of uses, however is one of the few key critical minerals used to create batteries for EV’s and stationary energy storage systems, as such Graphite will be a building block for our transition to a net-zero future.

A huge driver of the economy, the total value of mineral production in the Northern Territory was $4.86 billion last year, with 4,400 people employed within the industry. 

Demand for these critical minerals is projected to rapidly grow with the increasing transition to renewable energy and battery storage, along with the crucial role of these minerals in areas such as medicine and defence.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Mining, Mark Monaghan:

“The Territory Labor Government will always back projects that get Territorians working.

“It is clear that the demand for critical minerals is driving this growth in exploration, and as it stand over 4400 Territorians work within the minerals industry.

“The Northern Territory is standing at the helm of a global critical minerals surge, and we have the opportunity to become a leading supplier for the world’s renewable energy transition. Of the world’s critical minerals, the Northern Territory now has mineral resources for 17 – up from 15, with high potential for a further 12.”

Source: Northern Territory Government Newsroom

The Territory Labor Government is investing in clean, affordable and reliable energy for Territorians.

A milestone has been reached for the Territory’s $45 million big battery – known as the Darwin-Katherine Battery Energy Storage System (DK BESS).

All 192 batteries, each weighing 3.5 tonnes, have been installed for the 35 MVA BESS, with Construction and pre-commissioning also complete. Territory Generation is continuing to work collaboratively with key stakeholders to begin rigorous testing before the BESS comes online later this year.

Today, the Territory Labor Government is also announcing a second large scale battery storage project.

To further support our grid, expressions of interest were opened for the DK BESS 2 project. Assessment of submissions is underway to understand industry capability, and successful applicants will be asked to put forward a proposal for the project.

The DK BESS 2 project will see large scale batteries distributed across locations on the Darwin-Katherine power system to boost capability and assure the security of our power grid.

The project will deliver fuel savings and enable more solar renewable energy penetration by providing essential frequency and voltage control services. Commissioning is targeted from 2026 onwards.

Together, these two BESS projects satisfy Darwin-Katherine Electricity System Plan requirements for the installation of up to 105 MW of high-specification batteries.

A major part of the Darwin-Katherine Electricity System Plan, the first DK BESS is forecast to deliver cost savings of around $9.8 million per year, paying for itself in about five years from connection to the grid, and delivering annual carbon emission savings of 58,000 tonnes.

The Territory Labor Government is able to invest in our power grid because it is owned by Territorians.

Quotes attributable to Chief Minister Eva Lawler:

“The DK BESS and DK BESS 2 are an important part of our transition to a renewable energy future. We are able to invest in our power grid because we own our assets like Territory Generation, Jacana and Power and Water.

“By owning our assets we can keep power prices low. Only a Territory Labor Government will keep our assets in the hands of Territorians.

“Battery technology will play a significant role in our target of reaching 50% renewable energy consumption by 2030.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Renewables and Energy Kate Worden:

 “This project will secure our energy supply for Territorians and stabilise our grid as we move towards integrating more renewable energy into our power use.

“As we move towards a future where renewable energy will play a greater part in our power supply, the DK BESS and DK BESS 2 projects will facilitate a major port of this change.

“By owning Territory Generation and Power and Water, the Territory Labor Government can assure Territorians we will keep power prices down.”

Quotes from Territory Generation CEO, Gerhard Laubscher:

 “Territory Generation’s battery energy storage system projects will play a critical role in advancing renewables in Darwin-Katherine and other power systems across the Northern Territory.

“Adding more battery energy storage systems to Territory Generation’s portfolio will not only enable more renewables and efficient generation dispatch throughout the energy transition, but also fosters the evolution of technological innovations and further supports grid resilience.”

Quote from Hitachi Energy Australia Senior Vice President, Head of Grid Edge Solutions, Maxine Ghavi:

 “Hitachi Energy is focused on advancing a sustainable energy future for all. With our technology underpinning DK BESS 1, the project provided a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to a sustainable energy future to all Territorians.

“We would welcome the opportunity to continue support the Northern Territory’s energy transition should it arise.”

Source: Northern Territory Government Newsroom

The Petroleum Operations unit is committed to providing clear information on how the onshore petroleum industry in the Northern Territory is regulated during the wet season.

To keep Territorians informed, we have published a regulatory statement to provide clarity on what we expect and what we're doing. We expect compliance and will act when we don't see it.

In response to the Hydraulic Fracking Inquiry recommendations, several mandatory requirements were developed for managing wastewater on a petroleum well site. These requirements are outlined in the Code of Practice and in the Compliance Plan 2023 – 2024.

These include measures such as

• ensuring containment of wastewater in enclosed tanks before any significant rainfall event
• testing wastewater so we know the environmental impact and appropriate disposal methods
• it also includes limiting wastewater being transported on unsealed roads in the wet season.

These are just some of the mandatory requirements and there might also be additional controls in the Environmental Management Plan (EMP). If these aren’t complied with, then penalties can apply.

The Environmental Regulation Branch has established criteria for various levels of impacts and culpabilities to inform our regulatory response, including

• the seriousness of the contravention
• the actual or potential for environmental impact
• the culpability of the interest holder.

All sites where a regulated activity is actively being undertaken have been inspected, in some instances with other Northern Territory Government agencies. At the start of the 2023 ‐ 2024 wet season, the Petroleum Operations unit undertook wet season preparedness inspections of 100% of onshore petroleum well sites in the Beetaloo Sub‐basin that have wastewater from drilling and/or hydraulic fracturing present.

Any compliance and enforcement action that regulators take to ensure compliance is published at the end of the financial year. Reports on wastewater management and data provided in accordance with the regulations is made public through the Petroleum Onshore Information NT portal.

Regulating wastewater from petroleum operation sites during the wet season is our focus, and something we know Territorians care about. We take environmental regulation seriously.

This article was initially published in the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security monthly newsletter "Finding the Balance".

Source: Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security newsroom