Industry News

Aboriginal community engagement and information update

Principles of engagement

The Principles of Engagement when using Aboriginal Interpreters (the Principles) are a guide for undertaking consultation with Aboriginal people where English is not a first language. The Principles were developed in accordance with recommendation 11.5 from the Final Report of the Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing in the Northern Territory, which states:

That interpreters be used at all consultations with Aboriginal people for whom English is a second language. Interpreters must be appropriately supported to ensure that they understand the subject matter of the consultation.

The Principles emphasise the importance of using interpreters when explaining complex scientific matters and recognise the significance of respecting community and culture when consulting with Aboriginal people. The Principles aim to promote consistent, effective and accountable engagement with Aboriginal people through working together.

The Principles are available for download at the Onshore Gas website.

Information in Aboriginal languages

Audio files about groundwater, methane and shale gas are available to use when engaging with Aboriginal people across the Territory regarding shale gas development and hydraulic fracturing.

The audio files are available for download at the Onshore Gas website in the following languages:

• Anindilyakwa
• Anmatyerr
• Burarra
• Eastern Central    Arrernte
• Eastside Kriol
• Kunwinjku
• Maung
• Murrinh-Patha
• Ngarinyman
• Pintupu-Luritja
• Pitjantjatjara
• Tiwi
• Warlpiri
• Warumungu
• Western    Arrernte
• Westside Kriol
• Yolngu Matha
• English.

Audio files in Alyawarr will be produced and made available when finalised.

Community Engagement and Information Program

The latest Annual Delivery Plan for the Community Engagement and Information Program was recently signed by NT Government and CSIRO with Ethics Clearance also achieved through the CSIRO process. This Program will provide reliable, accessible, trusted and accurate information to communities potentially affected by shale gas development and hydraulic fracturing in the future.

Resources arising from ongoing consultations with communities will be developed through the Community Engagement and Information Program and made available.

The Territory Labor Government has taken another major step forward in modernising the Northern Territory’s environmental protection laws.

Amendments passed today in parliament, incorporate chain of responsibility (CoR) provisions into the NT’s environmental regulatory framework for onshore gas.

CoR laws protect taxpayers from inheriting the cost of cleaning up environmental damage by ensuring that accountability can be passed along corporate structures. It allows for “related parties” to be compelled to manage and rehabilitate sites operated by companies experiencing financial difficulties.

Adoption of a CoR law is also important to implement recommendation 14.30 of the independent ‘Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing in the Northern Territory’ (Pepper Inquiry) which states that:

“prior to the grant of any further production approvals, the Government enacts provisions establishing a chain of responsibility for gas companies and related parties to ensure compliance with environmental obligations”.

The Territory Labor Government is continuing to deliver all 135 recommendations of the Pepper Inquiry.

Quotes from Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water Security, Lauren Moss:

“This Territory Labor Government knows that protecting our environment is a critical part of ensuring future generations of Territorians will also have the opportunity to experience our unique way of life.

“We can do this while providing for the sustainable economic development that is essential to grow our economy, provide future jobs, and support the wellbeing of those who call the NT home.

“We believe in the science, we believe in protecting our cultural and ecological values, and we believe in creating compliance frameworks that will work to protect the interests of all Territorians.”

Lauren Moss
Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water Security

Media Release: NT Government Newsroom 

The Northern Territory Government has released a tender for a lead environmental consultant to undertake an environmental assessment for the Adelaide River Off-stream Water Storage (AROWS) infrastructure project and also produce a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Ensuring a rigorous environmental assessment is essential to supporting the viability of this important project.

The lead environmental consultant will build on the preliminary environmental assessment and studies completed to date by the Power Water Corporation.

The final EIS will inform government as to whether additional environmental or regulatory approvals need to be undertaken for the AROWS project.

Community consultation and securing key regulatory approvals is essential before a decision can be made to deliver the project.

The Northern Territory Government is committed to ensuring that future water infrastructure projects are developed in a sustainable manner that minimises the potential impact on the environment.

To ensure this each stage of the environmental impact assessment process will be assessed in line with requirements under the Northern Territory Environment Protection Act 2019 and Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, to inform the final EIS

The AROWS project is the largest water infrastructure project in the Northern Territory’s history and it is proposed to be Darwin’s next major water supply source to provide water security to our community.

As an off-stream water storage project, AROWS takes an innovative approach to provide complementary outcomes of water availability and environmental sustainability.

The Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission (TERC) identified that a step change in the Territory’s approach to water is needed to support the Territory’s target of a $40 billion economy by 2030.

Investment in enabling water supply infrastructure will support the realisation of the Territory’s economic target.

It is also important that we develop sustainable solutions that protect our environment and maintain our great Territory lifestyle.

For further information and to register for the industry briefing email WaterInfrastructure.DITT@nt.gov.au

The Darwin Region Water Supply Infrastructure Program - Stage 1 is jointly funded by the Australian and Northern Territory governments, delivered in partnership with Power and Water Corporation.

Shaun Drabsch, CEO Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade

“The NT Government is committed to delivering safe drinking water for all Territorians, as well as enabling economic development through irrigated agriculture and industry expansion.”

“It is also important that we develop sustainable solutions that protect the environment and our great Territory lifestyle.”

“Environmental considerations are critical in the development of the AROWS project and the Territory Government will always ensure our environmental processes are robust.”

“Sustainable outcomes and environmental protection of the Adelaide River and surrounds are paramount for planning for this infrastructure project and will be a key feature of the EIS.”

“Stakeholder consultation is also important and there will be opportunities for the community to provide input through this process.”

Source: Department of Industry, Tourism & Trade

Highlights

Production casing has been successfully run to the end of the lateral section in the record-breaking Carpentaria-3H horizontal well (C-3H). Schlumberger Land Rigs 185 was released on 21 November 2022 and is being moved to the C-4V drill pad

C-3H fracture stimulation is expected to commence in early December

Carpentaria-4V vertical well (C-4V) drilling is expected to commence in early December

$10 million revolving credit facility and $5 million performance bonding facility established with Macquarie Bank Limited (Macquarie)

For full announcement, please click here

The Salvation Army have been supporting Territorians for over 70 years now. This support is constant, all year round and not just through the Christmas period. Christmas time is where help, care and support is needed at an increase level to bring joy and hope to families and individuals who are alone and experiencing hardship. This is where the Salvation Army too step up another level as the biggest provider of relief and care at this time.

How do we help?

•  We provide food hampers and vouchers, gifts and toys for families and individuals as well as emergency financial relief towards essential bills and travel for medical purposes
• We provide safe and comfortable open community centres in Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs for people to come all year round, to enjoy a meal, have some company and support, use laundry and bathroom facilities and receive assistance and referrals to other essential services (housing, centrelink, legal aid) through our Doorways program
• We are registered Housing Provider and also provide housing for people experiencing homelessness as well as give assistance with obtaining housing options
• We operate Catherine Booth House in Darwin accommodate women fleeing Domestic Family Violence and offer outreach support services to many women and children
• At Christmas time, our Homeless and Domestic Family Violence Hostels provide lunches and gifts for their residents, some of our community centres put on lunches to all the community which also gives people somewhere welcoming to come who would have nowhere else to go on Christmas day.

How can you help us to support other Territorians?

•  Donate to The Salvation Army’s Christmas Appeal;    www.salvationarmy.org.au
•  Donations can also be made in person at any Salvos Store, at the counter at Kmart stores in Casuarina and Coolalinga. 
• Buy a gift and leave it at the Kmart stores Wishing Tree or at Palmerston Gateway’s Gift box at the front of Big W)
• Donate at the Energy Club NT Christmas party!

The Territory Labor Government knows that investing in renewables delivers clean, affordable and reliable energy for Territorians, attracts new private investment and creates more local jobs.

A construction milestone has been reached for the Territory’s $45 million big battery – known as the Darwin-Katherine Battery Energy Storage System (DK BESS) – with civil and building works now complete. Hitachi Energy has mobilised to site at Territory Generation’s Channel Island Power Station to carry out the next phase of construction.

Hitachi Energy is delivering the build of the battery, with local companies City Earthmoving Pty Ltd and T&M Concreters having carried out the civil and foundation works for the project.

Works have started on the new 132/11.5kV power transformer. A new dedicated switchroom is under construction and the first tranche of inverter enclosures have been installed on site.

The 35MVA battery is expected to deliver cost savings of around $9.8 million per year, paying for itself within approximately five years from connection to the grid. It will also reduce emissions by about 58,000 tonnes per annum.

The Darwin and Katherine Electricity System provides energy to 150,000 Territorians, and the DK BESS is the first significant step towards reducing the use of gas generators for the system.

Delivering a BESS for the Darwin-Katherine electricity grid is a major part of the Darwin-Katherine Electricity System Plan, and fits into the Governments ‘Ready’ stage of the plan. It is also a cornerstone investment of Territory Generation’s Fleet Transition.

Quotes attributed to Chief Minister, Natasha Fyles:

“150,000 Territorians will soon have a more flexible and reliable power system. We know, and Territorians know, that renewables deliver cleaner, cheaper and secure power.

“The Battery Energy Storage System will reinforce the Northern Territory as the solar capital of Australia. It will store power and be the backbone of the Darwin to Katherine Electricity grid.

“The Territory Labor Government is backing Territorians, solar and lower prices to get it done.”

Quotes from Minister for Renewables and Energy, Selena Uibo:

“Construction of the Darwin-Katherine BESS is a huge step forward in our plan for 50% renewables by 2030.

“Our electricity will be more reliable and stable, whilst maintaining affordability for Territorians which is what they expect and deserve.

“Our future is renewables.  This is why we are investing now in the BESS and hydrogen powered generators so we can have clean and efficient energy to help reach our renewables and net zero emission targets.”

Quotes from Territory Generation CEO, Gerhard Laubscher

“Territory Generation’s Darwin-Katherine battery energy storage system has progressed to the next phase of works.

“Hitachi Energy has mobilised to site at Channel Island Power Station to carry out specialist battery equipment and cabling installation.

“The Darwin-Katherine battery not only delivers on a portion of the Northern Territory Government’s Darwin-Katherine Electricity System Plan, but is also key to unlocking flexibility in our generation fleet to better manage the increasing impacts of solar on the system.

Quotes from Hitachi Energy Country Managing Director, Bernard Norton:

“Hitachi Energy is deploying our proven Virtual Synchronous Machine technology as the key technology for the DK BESS project.  This is a bold step towards operating the entire Darwin Katherine network without gas powered generators. It also means a more affordable, reliable and sustainable energy supply for Territory households and businesses.

“In delivering this project, Hitachi Energy’s Darwin based project team, with the support of local contractor ESPEC, is advancing a sustainable energy future for the Northern Territory.”

Source: NT Government Newsroom

Energy Club NT 2022 AGM & Board election voting

2022 Annual General Meeting 

On behalf on the Energy Club NT Board of Directors, members are reminded of our 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM). 

The business to be transacted at the AGM is as per the clubs Constitution Section 49 (3). An agenda is available for Energy Club NT members to download from the members portal on our website.

The AGM is a members only event and we encourage you to attend. 

A quorum of 10% of members is required at our AGM, so please register to attend if possible and thank you for your support.

You can register to attend the AGM either in person or via Zoom:

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR AGM NOW

For those who register and attend our AGM (either via Zoom or in person) will go into the draw to win a $500 flight voucher from our local business partners Airnorth

Our AGM will be held immediately before our November industry networking event: ‘Christmas in the Tropics’ – Presented by Safespear. 

Please ensure to register for the Christmas event and AGM separately.

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2022/2024 Board election voting

This year we have received seven (7) nominations for four (4) available board positions. A short bio for each nominee is available to download here or in the online members vault on the Energy Club NT website.

Voting will be open from 23 November to 7 December 2022. Once your vote has been submitted it cannot be changed and each current member will have ONE eligible vote. All votes submitted are confidential and responses are not recorded against individual names.

Candidates nominating for election at the upcoming Annual General Meeting being held on Thursday, 8 December are listed below in alphabetical order by first name.

Please log-in to select and vote FOUR (4) options for the available board positions using the link below:

CLICK HERE TO VOTE NOW

Beetaloo Regional Reference Group - Meeting seven Communique

The Beetaloo Regional Reference Group (BRRG) is a consultative forum for communication with key regional stakeholders based in the Beetaloo for guiding and informing the SREBA studies within the Beetaloo Sub-basin region.

Studies from the six domains are now finished and teams are now completing analysis and reporting. TetraTech presented soil and water quality information under the Environmental Health domain. There are five ongoing air quality and dust monitoring sites throughout the region, which will continue to collect data throughout 2023. The SREBA team are preparing the data catalogue for accepting and housing the data generated through the SREBA studies. Volunteers were sought for testing of the data catalogue and web systems to test user friendliness. A roadshow for communicating SREBA outputs is planned for early 2023. Feedback was provided from the committee on the accessibility of SREBA outputs, useful data platforms and searchability of SREBA web content. The committee was invited to provide feedback on the data catalogue system whilst it is in development.

Staff from the Water Resource Division presented the draft Georgina Wiso Water Allocation Plan (the draft plan) to BRRG members, which is available for public comment for 4 weeks via the NT Government's Have Your Say portal.

For details on progress updates, discussions and the Georgina Wiso Water Allocation Plan visit Beetaloo Regional Reference Group - Meeting seven Communique | Hydraulic Fracturing in the Northern Territory

Please direct all correspondence to:
Hydraulic Fracturing Inquiry Implementation Taskforce
GPO Box 4396, Darwin NT 0801
T 08 8999 6573
E hydraulic.fracturing@nt.gov.au
W hydraulicfracturing.nt.gov.au

Larrakia and partners forging a renewable future New Larrakia Development Corporation Joint Venture, Larrakia Energy, are progressing a plan to build a 300MW Solar Farm harvesting sunshine in the Northern Territory. Once constructed the project will be the largest solar farm in the Northern Territory, and Australia’s largest Aboriginal-owned solar farm.

At a signing ceremony in Perth yesterday, Larrakia Energy executed an MOU with Korean power company KOMIPO, to advance the project to the next stage. The occasion represents a very significant step towards building new and sustainable business on Larrakia Country, bringing together significant local, national and international businesses.

The project now advances to the detailed design, specification, and costing phase which is to be located on Larrakia Country near Bladin Point and scheduled to start in 2023, with customer power delivery commencing in 2024.

Larrakia Development Corporation Chairman Mark Motlop says this as an opportunity to forge a new era in LDC’s continued long-term relationships with INPEX and Darwin LNG. “By delivering affordable renewable energy and supporting INPEX and Darwin LNG’s goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, we will play our part in helping to care for Country”, Mark said.

“The power needed to operate these gas plants is itself a gas intensive process. We are entering the renewables market to help these companies reduce their carbon footprint, create greater economic opportunities for Larrakia and continue to care for Country”, said LDC CEO Nigel Browne.

“Larrakia Energy’s new MOU with KOMIPO, a Korean Government owned energy provider with renewable projects across the globe, demonstrates our shared capacity and commitment to realising this vision”, said PGS Managing Director James Rhee.

It is expected that ongoing negotiations with the Northern Territory government will work to support this project by enabling Larrakia Energy to build the project and also construct a dedicated transmission line direct to the Middle Arm industrial area at a site complimentary to Bladin and Wickham Points.

Website: www.larrakia.com.au

The signing ceremony was attended by representatives of LDC, PGS, KOMIPO, INPEX, SANTOS, LG Energy Solution and SK E&S.

To view full media release, please click here 

Empire Energy Group: Record-breaking Carpentaria-3H (“C-3H”) drilled on time and under budget fracture stimulation and flow testing of C-3H, and Carpentaria-4V (“C-4V”) drilling to commence imminently.

• C-3H drilled to total depth of 4,460 metres on time and under budget

• Total horizontal section length of 2,632 metres drilled, of which 2,374 metres was successfully placed within the target Velkerri-B shale formation, with strong gas shows throughout the target shale zone. This represents by far the longest horizontal section drilled in the Beetaloo to date

• Forecast total cost for C-3H drilling of <$11 million compares favourably to Carpentaria-2H and is a small fraction of the cost of drilling deeper Beetaloo wells

• Fracture stimulation operations and production testing of C-3H, fully funded from existing cash at bank, scheduled to commence in early December 2022

• C-3H fracture stimulation design will benefit from cutting edge technological learnings from Empire’s recent C-2H fracture stimulation and flow testing program, which is likely to enhance well productivity, particularly flow rates

• Drilling of C-4V scheduled to commence in the coming weeks following mobilisation of the rig from the C-3H location

• Empire has received a Research and Development Tax Offset of $7.8 million in cash and a GST refund of $1.6 million in cash following processing of its September Business Activity Statement

• Incredibly tight Australian gas market conditions are driving significant commercial interest from potential customers for Empire’s low CO2 gas which is likely to facilitate the company’s rapid commercialisation strategy

• Current cash at bank is $33.5 million 

To view full update, please click here