A low-emissions initiative for South Australia

Hon Paul Holloway MLC, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, officially opened...

  Hon Paul Holloway MLC, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, officially opened the Hybrid Energy Australia’s headquarters at Level 4, 33 King William Street.The office opening celebrated a landmark joint research agreement between Hybrid Energy Australia and Adelaide Research and Innovation Pty Ltd (ARI) – the commercial development company of the University of Adelaide.The agreement will result in the University of Adelaide working with Hybrid Energy Australia to examine both the combustion and gasification characteristics of lignite (coal) from Kingston South Australia. This testing program will be undertaken by the School of Chemical Engineering in their South Australian Coal Research Laboratory at Thebarton.“We are pleased to announce our recent agreement with the ARI and The University of Adelaide to undertake a testing program using Kingston lignite to develop the FuturGas Project – a world-leading environmentally and socially responsible coal-to-liquid fuels conversion and low-emissions power generation project for Australia,” said the Managing Director of Hybrid Energy Australia, Mr Barry Ford.“The chemical composition of the Kingston lignite makes it extremely suitable for the gasification process and the production of electricity and liquid transport fuels,” said Mr Ford.The University of Adelaide’s School of Chemical Engineering has years of research expertise in lignite combustion and gasification. The Chief Investigator for the research project will be Dr Peter Ashman, Senior Lecturer, Chemical Engineering, who will be responsible for delivering the lignite testing program. The results from this testing program will be used to optimise the design of the FuturGas facility to minimise environmental impact and maximise process efficiency. “The University of Adelaide continues to be at the forefront of research assisting exploration and discovery, and by helping Hybrid Energy Australia with its low-emissions initiative, our important links with industry will be further strengthened,” said Mr Robert Chalmers, ARI’s Managing Director.Hybrid Energy Australia which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the ASX-listed and Perth-based oil and gas exploration and production company Strike Oil Limited, holds petroleum and mineral exploration licenses over the extensive lignite resource near Kingston in the State’s South East, which is the planned site for the FuturGas Project facility.The FuturGas Feasibility study, including joint research with the University of Adelaide, is earmarked for completion in 2010, with the company’s Environmental Impact Study due for completion, public review and comment in 2011.Upon completion of the current Feasibility Study, and subject to the necessary planning and development approvals, the project will commence with the development of a surface mine, which will be progressively rehabilitated. The deep naturally occurring geological structures in the Otway Basin to the south of the lignite resource have been identified by the company to have the potential to store the low carbon dioxide emissions produced by the FuturGas Project.“We will be adopting next-generation technology that will capture, transport and store carbon dioxide emissions from the FuturGas facility in a pathway from low, to zero emissions,” said Mr Ford.Mr Ford also said that the company was strongly committed to protecting the State’s native environment and water resources – in line with local regional initiatives.The location of the lignite resource and proposed FuturGas site is within 25-30 kilometres of the 275,000 Volt electricity transmission line linking South Australia and Victoria, also providing an option for the FuturGas Project to supply power directly into the national electricity market.