ENERGY Developments (ENE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Anglo Coal for the development of a nominal 32 megawatt waste coal seam methane (WCSM) power plant at the German Creek Coal Mine approximately 800 kilometres north west of Brisbane, reports AAP.
The project will utilise ENE's modular Caterpillar spark ignition generator sets similar to the company's 96 MW Appin and Tower CSM power plants in NSW.
ENE was awarded funding of up to $15.47 million in 2001 under the Federal Government's Greenhouse Gas Abatement (GGAP) programme for an 11 MW project at German Creek that was to use ENE's innovative carburetted gas turbine (CGT) technology. The company has submitted details regarding the benefits of switching to conventional WCSM technology to the Government for consideration and approval. This revised project, based on conventional technology, offers a significant increase in power generated and results in greenhouse gas abatement equivalent to 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 annually.
Once the documentation phase is complete the WCSM power plant is expected to be constructed over the following year with full commercial operation scheduled for late calendar 2004.
Together with the Cannington 12 MW expansion project that ENE is currently constructing the project will add a total of 44 megawatts of new capacity to ENE's remote power Australian portfolio which currently stands at 102 MW.
On 30 May ENE also announced that it had been named as one of two joint preferred bidders to supply Western Power's electricity requirements in the West Kimberley region of Australia for the next 20 years. Western Power expects to award sole bidder status to the successful bidder in August 2003.