Volume 26 No 2 - Jun 2008 - Australian Institute of Energy

VolUME 26 No. 2 – JUNE 2008
www.aie.org.au
OFFICIAL JOURNAL
OF THE AUSTRALIAN
INSTITUTE OF ENERGY
Developments in Oil and Gas
PLUS:
Coal Technology
Distributed Energy
Energy Views — ACCC,
Garnaut and the IEA

ISSN 1445-2227
(International Standard Serial Number allocated
by the National Library of Australia)
THE AUSTrAlIAN
INSTITUTE oF ENErgy
ENErgy
News
Journal Correspondence
Joy Claridge
PO Box 298
Brighton, VIC 3186
email: editor@aie.org.au
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Contents
President’s Message 30
The Price of Petrol 31
Distributed Energy 32
ETIS & IDgCC 34
The IEA 36
Water and Energy 38
Special Feature
Developments in Oil and Gas 39
Articles
An Overview of Advanced
Clean Coal Technologies 44
Garnaut Climate Change Review
Government scheme helps deliver
47
cleaner energy 49
Book reviews
The Handbook of Biomass Combustion
and Co-Firing 50
Pinch Analysis and Process Integration 51
letters to the Institute 51
Membership Matters 53
Cover: Courtesy TRUenergy
ENErgyNews ENErgyNews — Volume 26 — No. Volume 2 June 26 2008 No. 2 June 2008 29

President’s Message
The challenge of rising energy prices
Murray Meaton, President,
Australian Institute of Energy
Energy costs remain on the front page
in our newspapers with record price
rises for fossil fuels and predictions of
even higher coal and crude oil prices.
Such price rises would normally be
expected to lead to reduced energy use
but such is the demand from expanding
economies that consumption continues
to rise inexorably. While rising energy
prices will inevitably cause some
slowdown in economic activity, the
rising consumption continues to
increase emissions of environmentwarming
greenhouse gases.
In an endeavour to reduce global
emissions, governments of all
Special Features
This issue’s feature on Developments in Oil & Gas is timely. As ENErgyNews goes to press the crude oil price
is hovering at around US$130 per barrel.
Hydrogen will be featured in September 2008 issue, and all material will be sourced from presentations to the World
Hydrogen Energy Conference (WHEC 2008) hosted by the Australian Institute of Energy and the International
Association of Hydrogen Energy in Brisbane on 15–19 June 2008.
In December 2008 issue, the topic is Future Liquid Fuels, covering alternatives to petroleum fuels including, but
not limited to, biofuels, synfuels, and coal/gas to oil. So, let the editor know of your intention to submit material
by 24 October 2008, and send copy to editor for publication by 14 November 2008.
The first special feature for 2009 will be Skills and Training in the Energy Sector. Details to follow in forthcoming
issues of ENErgyNews.
Suggestions for further topics in 2009 welcome, and please include contact details of expert contributors if known.
Contact details: Joy Claridge editor@aie.org.au
(03) 9596 3608 0402 078 071
30 ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2007
persuasions continue to strive to find
a balance between new technologies,
renewable energy development and
energy saving measures. The 2008
Australian Government Budget
devoted substantial funding to research
into clean coal technologies and
renewable energy sources. Perhaps
reflecting the challenge of choosing
the easier pathway, a very similar
amount was allocated to both fields
of work. Specific funding initiatives
included energy storage and hydrogen
as well as geothermal drilling and
biofuel technologies. Solar technology
research will also be boosted by an
Energy Innovation Fund. The broad
ranging initiatives and the substantial
funding involved reflect the importance
of emission reduction. They also
recognise that energy prices will
continue to rise and economies need to
start adapting to crude oil scarcity.
The large budget sums also reflect the
challenges that lie ahead. While new
technologies offer promise for emission
reductions from new energy sources,
the continuing increase in population
and demand for higher living standards
in developing countries means that
the developed countries will have to
reduce total energy consumption if the
ambitious emission reduction targets
are to be achieved. This cannot be
achieved without a measurable increase
in energy costs or energy-saving
investment. There will be an adjustment
in the economy, and energy-intensive
industries almost certainly will relocate
to countries with less stringent energy
reduction aspirations. Any adjustment
in the mix of industry and energy use
patterns involves transitional costs
and social adaptation. Australia is a
wealthy country and, while there will
be resistance from those most affected
by these changes, the nation appears
to have strongly supported emission
reduction targets. It is now time to
develop the strategies that will deliver
those with the lowest transitional cost
and community pain.
Australian Institute of Energy Branches
around Australia have been busy in the
past few months with meetings and
seminars on current energy issues.
Two large conferences are scheduled
for 2008, with support for the 17th
World Hydrogen Energy Conference
in Brisbane in June and the Energy in
Western Australia conference in Perth
in August. A very topical Energy in
NSW event is also scheduled for July.
I encourage all members support these
ambitious events as well as regular
Branch meetings.
Murray Meaton
President, AIE

Few nations are as enamoured with the car as Australia.
There are 14.8 million registered vehicles on our roads and,
when surveyed in 2006, 90% of households said they kept at
least one car on the property. With 80% of those 18 and over
using a car as a primary method of transport to get to work
or study, any change in the basic cost of motoring potentially
affects a huge section of the population. With its widely
dispersed centres of agriculture, industry, mining activity,
and large distances, Australia is a society highly dependent
on fuel. Its citizens therefore are keen observers of petrol
price fluctuations and harbour deep suspicion of factors
that lead to its pricing. As a result there is a long history of
government involvement in petrol and petrol pricing.
These community suspicions are perhaps driven partly by the
complicated factors that lead to the eventual price paid at the
pump by motorists. Weekly price cycles are one of the most
obvious feature to motorists and generate much comment,
especially around public holidays. Petrol price cycles remain
an enigma to authorities, despite numerous investigations
attempting to explain their origins. In terms of the standard
of fuel sold in Australia, it varies both domestically and in
comparison to standards overseas. There is also frequent
buying and selling of petrol between the four major petrol
companies within Australia. Despite the media focus and
clear public concern about the price of petrol, Australians
continue to enjoy relatively cheap fuel in relation to other
developed economies in the OECD group. In March 2007
only Mexico, the United States and Canada had lower retail
petrol prices than Australia in this group. The actual cost of
the fuel remains relatively similar across all countries, with
government taxes making up for most of the differences
between the 29 countries included in a 2007 OECD survey.
The ACCC has for some time monitored the seven-day
rolling average of retail unleaded petrol prices for the five
largest cities and compared it to a rolling average for the
region’s benchmark price, Singapore MOGAS 95 unleaded.
Comparing the rolling average of what motorists pay at
the pump and the regional benchmark (allowing for a lag
of around one week) means the ACCC can easily monitor
when Australian retailers are inflating prices. During 2007,
the average difference between the wholesale and retail prices
was 61.3 cpl (cents per litre). When that gap increased to
63.8 cpl in January and then again rose to 65.5 cpl in June,
the ACCC made the information public and called on the
petrol retailers to give motorists a fair go by pulling their
prices back into line with the benchmark.
The repeated disparities became the catalyst for the
ACCC seeking the national Treasurer’s approval for a
far-reaching inquiry into the industry under Part VIIA of
the Trade Practices Act. What resulted was an exhaustive,
comprehensive examination of Australia’s unleaded
The Price of Petrol
Petrol Prices and Australian Consumers
Based on a presentation to South Australia Branch
by graeme Samuel, Chairman, ACCC (Australian Competition
and Consumer Commission), on 22 February 2008.
petrol market. That report was
submitted to the government on 14
December 2007, and made a number
of important findings. It concluded
that the industry was fundamentally
competitive and that there was no
obvious evidence of price fixing. However, it did note there
were concerns in the market. These included a cosy club of
sellers with a unique ability to control the supply and price
of fuel. These suppliers also had an advantage over motorists
in the form of real-time price information which allowed
them to closely follow the price of competitors and adjust
prices accordingly. Refining was also highly concentrated
and barriers to entry were high for independents wanting to
provide new competition, with one of the greatest barriers
being a lack of port facilities for importing cheap petrol
from overseas. In order to address these issues, the report
recommended a closer look at the buy/sell arrangements
between the major oil companies and an audit of terminals
that would be potentially suitable for importing petrol into
Australia from other markets.
Since the release of the petrol report (see www.accc.gov.
au to download a copy), the government has responded by
directing the ACCC to conduct formal monitoring of the
prices, costs and profits related to the supply of petroleum
products in the petroleum industry. This requires the
ACCC to produce annual reports to the Commonwealth
Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs over the
next three years. The government has also announced the
appointment of Pat Walker as a commissioner to the ACCC
with special responsibilities in the area of petrol. Mr Walker
is a former Commissioner for the Consumer Protection
and Prices Commission in Western Australia. Despite the
extensive work already conducted as a result of the petrol
inquiry, there remains much still to be done. As well as an
audit of all potential terminals suitable for importing petrol
and the responsibilities of ongoing monitoring, there will
also be a closer examination of the information sharing
arrangements provided to petrol retailers and a running
watch on developments in shopper docket schemes that may
impact on the competitiveness of the market.
Despite this work, to echo the words of the minister, Chris
Bowen, “there is no magic bullet that will lead to a sudden
sharp drop in the price of petrol in Australia”. Like every
other country, Australia must pay the going price for this
internationally-traded commodity. That said, there is scope
to ensure that at the local level steps are taken to make petrol
pricing as competitive as possible. To ensure motorists get the
best possible price when filling their cars we need to ensure
accountability, transparency and increased opportunities for
competition between sellers, while empowering motorists
with the information to make informed buying decisions.
ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008 31

Distributed Energy
ready, willing and able
Summary of the AIE Sydney Branch Symposium held on 16 October 2007,
prepared by Mark Gadd, Director, Autonomous Energy.
The New Face of DE
By Craig Chambers, GridX Power
Craig Chambers described GridX Power as the ‘lone ranger’
in Australia pushing the distributed energy (DE) ‘barrow’.
GridX Power is a vertically integrated utility and a licensed
DE provider that builds combined heat and power systems
burning natural gas from the mains in an internal combustion
engine for onsite production of electricity and heat. In
partnership with Mirvac, GridX has created Australia’s
first residential housing estate powered by natural gas using
trigeneration technology which generates three forms of
energy (cooling, heating and power) from a single source.
This showcase project is small though highly scalable and
saves 4–7 tonnes of CO2-e per house annually. Mr Chambers
explained that in the past 12 to 18 months sustainability
has become the new driver for GridX’s DE systems, and
that building codes, including BASIX and ABGR, have now
become the single biggest driver. GridX views the current
increasing network constraints as another significant driver
and believes its distributed energy systems are an elegant
solution. The benefits of the solution are: no noise or visual
impact; higher power reliability and quality; provides lower
cost energy; and results in a reduction in emissions. It is also
possible to upgrade sustainability ratings by installing GridX
power systems; this upgrade would be isolated to the plant
room and is less expensive than GreenPower.
The DE program in APP
By John Jende, Director – Renewable Energy Policy, AGO
John Jende provided an update on the work of the
Renewable Energy and Distributed Generation Task Force.
He commenced with a background on the Asia-Pacific
Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP) and
its emphasis on “practical partnerships to develop, deploy
and transfer cleaner, more efficient technologies”, noting that
“private sector engagement is recognized as a key ingredient
of success”. Mr Jende described the APP’s Renewable Energy
and Distributed Generation Task Force (REDGTF) of which
Korea is the chair and Australia the co-chair. The goals of
REDGTF are to accelerate the deployment of renewable
energy and DE over the next five years; to identify market
and policy barriers and implement mechanisms to overcome
them; and to close the gap between the cost of renewable
energy generation and conventional generation. Australia
is leading a number of projects in REDGTF that address
market barriers. There are three broad categories of projects:
deployment, market enabling, and RD&D. Examples of
projects receiving APP funding include: High Efficiency Solar
32 ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008
Power Stations for Affordable Energy led by Solar Systems,
Identifying High Value Geothermal Resources in China,
Pursuing Clean Energy Business in India, and Building
Expertise in Solar Energy Engineering led by UNSW. Mr
Jende also highlighted IEA projections of electricity demand
by region and contrasted this with current generation and
renewable electricity. Given the large projected increases in
demand in India, China and the US, he does not believe that
renewable energy generation can keep up with this increase
in demand, let alone replace current sources of conventional
generation.
MCE Code of Practice
By Ryan Thew, Energy and Environment, DITR
Ryan Thew’s presentation focused on the economic efficiency
of DE and what the national government was doing to review
rules and change the law in order to help the economic
case of DE. The Ministerial Council on Energy (MCE) was
established in 2001 to reform the national energy market. The
reform of the energy market is not driven by environmental
concerns but rather by economic efficiency. The MCE has
established a renewable energy and distributed generation
working group to examine wind energy policy, the code
of practice for embedded generation and to improve grid
accessibility. The stated aim is not to bias DE and renewable
energy but rather to level the playing field by removing
barriers and disincentives. The MCE wants to ensure that
connection arrangements are not unduly complex for micro
DE systems. Fundamentally the MCE recognises the need for
equivalent incentives for investment in DE as an alternative
to network investment.
Figure 1: DE Around the World
Source: WADE Annual World Survey of DE 2006

Global Opportunities for DE
By David Sweet, WADE
David Sweet is Executive Director WADE (World Alliance
for Distributed Energy), which has offices in Edinburgh,
Washington, Edmonton and Beijing. WADE is a non-profit
research, promotion and advocacy organisation started in
1997. Their mission is to accelerate the worldwide deployment
of high-efficiency cogeneration, on-site power and DE
systems. WADE works with a number of organisations from
all over the world to promote this mission. In Australia, DE
represents just over 5% of total electricity generation — 7th
lowest out of the 41 countries surveyed.
WADE is interested in the replicated development of economic
models to prove DE. Mr Sweet started his presentation by
stating that he believes energy is the number one factor for
the economy in the future, and that our energy future and
the future for civilisation in general are inextricably linked.
Therefore, there is a need to find alternatives to coal and oil.
He pointed out that DE technology is ready now and able to
improve the environment and the bottom line. Energy prices
and climate change will accelerate DE deployment worldwide
and distributed technologies have led to major market shifts in
other areas, such as computing and telecommunications. Mr
Sweet and gave examples of these analogies such as mainframes
versus the Internet and landlines versus mobile phones.
Figure 2: Decentralised Technologies. Source: WADE
WADE’s work is cited in the IPCC 4th Report on Climate
Change Mitigation in a section on “Decentralized Energy”.
Benefits cited include:
• Reduced need for costly transmission systems
• Shorter lead times
• Substantially reduced grid power losses
• Deferred costs for upgrading transmission and distribution
infrastructure
• Improved reliability
• Increased total energy recovery from 40–50% up to
70–85%, with corresponding reductions in CO2 emissions
of 50% or more.
Mr Sweet concluded that DE is a win-win form of power
generation which has great potential to reduce CO2
emissions and reduce overall costs of supplying power. The
barriers tend to be policy barriers.
Figure 3: Fossil Fuel Emissions by Technology
Source: WADE (based on IEA and DIDEME data)
Plug-in Vehicles
By Richard Hunwick, Hunwick Consultants Pty Ltd
Richard Hunwick’s presentation focused on the potential
future role of plug-in vehicles (PEVs) as storage of power in
the electricity grid. Mr Hunwick considers storage to be a form
of DE, albeit expensive. Up until recently people have only
really looked at stationary forms of storage, though emerging
technologies such as PEVs now beg the question: What about
transport? There is potentially large storage potential in
PEVs. Power can flow both ways — grid to vehicle (G2V) and
vehicle to grid (V2G) — and this can be very favourable for
renewable energy by absorbing and storing some of the energy
produced. PEVs could also eliminate peak capacity and defer
the need for generation, transmission and distribution capacity
augmentation. They can supplement shortcomings of grid
supply to host buildings providing UPS and ‘high nines’ supply
reliability. The business case for distributed storage is yet to be
made, with batteries being the limiting factor. However they
are improving all the time and the cost is halving each year. Mr
Hunwick believes that if incumbent car manufacturers resist
the trend then demand will be met by Chinese and Indian
manufacturers. Combined with smart meters and appropriate
control software, PEVs promise to have a disruptive but
positive effect on our electricity supply system.
The Intelligent Grid
Stuart White, Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS
Stuart White’s presentation outlined the interdisciplinary
project that he is leading which involves collaboration
between CSIRO and several Australian universities. The
project integrates and to the greatest extent possible
harmonises a number of research and development projects
and aims to increase the understanding of the real benefits
of DE; develop a robust and transparent model to measure
the value of DE options in network development (such as
avoided network costs); and effect more public debate on
the role of DE. The intelligent grid will use information
and communications control technology to integrate the
electricity network with DE resources, and will enhance
network stability and control. Broadly there are three
dimensions of research: technological, economic and
social. The research is focused on generating solutions and
addressing and overcoming the myriad barriers that are
preventing optimal economic and environmental outcomes,
thus moving us closer to best practice.
ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008 33

ETIS & IDGCC
Energy Technology Innovation and Hrl
Presentation by Dr Peter Redlich, Director Energy Technology Innovation,
Victorian Department of Primary Industries, and Gordon Carter,
Managing Director, HRL Limited, to Melbourne Branch on 27 February 2008.
Dr Redlich explained Victoria’s Energy Technology
Innovation Strategy (ETIS) program and Mr Carter provided
an overview of the 400 MW Integrated Drying Gasification
and Combined Cycle (IDGCC) project proposed for the
Latrobe Valley.
ETIS
The Energy Technology Innovation Division of the Victorian
Department of Primary Industries is responsible for the
ETIS program, which manages the cross-government
investment of over A$180 million in precommercial energy
and related greenhouse gas reduction technologies. ETIS
ensures that Victoria’s total investment is coordinated and
delivers the best commercial and environmental outcomes
for the state.
A position paper in 2004 set out the Victorian Government’s
strategy to reduce greenhouse emissions from the stationary
Figure 1: ETIS brown coal projects
34 ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008
energy sector. It included support for:
• a national emissions trading scheme (ETS);
• low-emission technologies (ETIS);
• a strong renewable energy industry (VRET); and
• enhanced energy efficiency.
Collectively these commitments affect all aspects of energy
supply and demand, including household end-use. A primary
objective of the ETIS program is to drive energy and related
greenhouse gas reduction technologies down their respective
cost curves to optimise Victoria’s economic development
and security of supply in a carbon constrained world. ETIS
facilitates a coordinated approach to the advancement
of precommercial low-emissions energy technologies
across brown coal (see Figure 1) and sustainable energy
technologies. It does not operate in areas that have no
technical risk (ie commercial projects).

Figure 2: Estimated Latrobe Valley CO2 Emissions and Water Use
IDGCC
Victoria is fortunate to have access to some of the world’s
largest and cheapest reserves of brown coal. However,
Victoria will face some serious policy issues when emissions
trading is introduced in 2010. There are a number of
options facing industry and government. For example, we
could replace current older brown coal power stations with
state-of-the-art new ones; shut down all energy-intensive
industries; convert the existing brown coal power stations
to using lower emissions imported black coal; and/or build
new very-low-emission brown coal power stations with new
technology, such as HRL’s IDGCC technology.
IDGCC is a new highly-efficient process for generating
electricity from brown coal. It combines pressurised drying
and gasification of the coal with gas turbine combined cycle
power generation. Brown coal is pressurised and dried in a
dryer using the heat in the gas generated by the gasification
process. It is then converted to a combustible gas in the
fluidised bed gasifier. Inside the pressurised dryer the coal
comes into direct contact with hot gas leaving the gasifier.
This dries the coal and cools the hot gas at the same time. The
cooled gas is cleaned prior to combustion in a gas turbine to
produce electricity. The water vapour released from drying
the coal forms part of the gas going to the gas turbine. The hot
exhaust gas from the gas turbine still contains useful energy
which is recovered by a heat recovery boiler and steam turbine
to produce extra electricity in the combined cycle process.
To demonstrate the potential of the technology, consider
replacing all existing brown coal power generation in the
Latrobe Valley with new technology like IDGCC. Figure 2
shows the impact on CO2 emissions (and water usage).
The IDGCC technology is capable of reducing CO2 emissions
from brown coal power generation by up to 30% when
compared to the current most efficient brown coal power
generation in the Latrobe Valley, and by over 40% when
compared to the older power stations. If the current existing
brown coal power plants in the Latrobe Valley were replaced
with IDGCC brown coal power generation, the potential
impact on emissions and water consumption would be
significant. CO2 emissions would fall from about 57 to 35
million tonnes (Mt) per annum, and water consumption would
fall from about 98 to 43 gigalitres per annum. The addition of
carbon capture and dry cooling reduces annual emissions by
a further 25 Mt (down to about 10 Mt per annum) and water
consumption is negligible.
Replacing all the current existing brown coal power
stations in the Latrobe Valley with natural gas combined
cycle technology (NGCC) would also reduce emissions
significantly to about 17 Mt per annum, and would achieve
about the same reduction in water consumption as IDGCC
(without carbon capture and dry cooling).
This scenario analysis, although simplistic, demonstrates
what is technically achievable, and demonstrates that
IDGCC has an important role to play in achieving the state’s
goals. There are three building blocks to get to where we
need to go with new technology: efficient and cheap power
generation; efficient and competitive carbon capture; and cost
effective sequestration. With IDGCC technology, the cost of
generation is expected to be lower than alternative generation
technologies currently available. The challenge is to reduce
the cost of carbon capture and overcome the legal and
regulatory issues of carbon transport and sequestration.
And, that’s another story! (Ed.)
ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008 35

The IEA
The IEA: Energy Security and Sustainability
Presentation by Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director, International Energy Agency
(IEA), to Canberra Branch, 17 March 2008.
The IEA is an energy policy advisor to its 27 member
countries and was founded during the first oil crisis. The
initial role was to respond to oil supply emergencies. But
during the last decades, energy markets have changed, and
so has the IEA. In now focuses beyond oil security to broader
energy issues, including climate change, market reform,
energy technology collaboration and outreach. Mr Tanaka
took over as Executive Director last September and aims for
the IEA to become known as a truly global comprehensive
energy policy body.
Environmental concerns, ongoing high prices and energy
security considerations, are stimulating support for measures
that could increase the uncertainty over the longer-term
demand for oil. However, there is no need to close the
valves on the oil pumps just yet. After all, IEA analysis
continues to demonstrate that even if measures to moderate
demand growth are introduced, and are a success, there is
relatively little doubt that demand will remain robust over
the foreseeable future. That is not to say that these policies
are not worth pursuing, but simply reflects the time they
will take to make an impact. Although the situation in 2030
or 2050 is less certain, the investment decisions that will
deliver supply at that time need not be taken for decades to
come, particularly as the planning horizon for incremental
capacity can be relatively short if investors have access to
the resource base.
However, while we are sure that the demand will be there,
there are growing doubts on the supply side in the shortto-medium
term. For this reason the IEA remains adamant
that there is an urgent need to strengthen the flow of capital
into upstream oil. After all, surging prices, diminishing
discoveries and, in some cases, poor data on remaining
reserves are fuelling concerns amongst some about the
availability of the hydrocarbon reserves base. We remain
comfortable with the adequacy of the world’s hydrocarbon
reserves, but we are anxious to mitigate the above ground
risks that complicate today’s markets.
The EU countries, Japan and Canada have pledged to reduce
emissions by 50% in 2050. The leaders of the G8 countries
agreed at their summit in Heiligendamm in July 2007 that
they would ‘seriously consider’ to follow suit. This push for
action gained momentum last December in Bali when 178
countries at the UN climate conference signed off on the ‘Bali
Roadmap’, which will take up where the Kyoto treaty leaves
off. After witnessing firsthand the negotiations in Bali, I am
extremely grateful that the IEA’s job is not to broker deals on
climate change. However, while the entire world’s attention
36 ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008
has been focusing on negotiations to set the reduction target,
it is important that we do not lose sight of the fact that a
target alone will not miraculously solve the problem. What
is needed is practical action to transform our energy system.
To this end, the IEA has analysed the steps that would be
required to actually achieve a 50% cut in emissions, which
corresponds to the IPCC’s scenarios of limiting the increase
in global temperatures to 2.4°C. To understand the extent of
this challenge we first need to appreciate the current level of
emissions and the outlook for their growth.
CO2 emissions from the energy sector currently stand at
27 gigatonnes (Gt). One gigatonne of CO2 emissions is
equivalent to the emissions produced each year by 300
coal-fired power plants, each of 500 MW, operating at base
load. According to the World Energy Outlook 2007, in the
absence of strong policy action, emissions will rise to 42 Gt
in 2030 and 62 Gt in 2050, and we will be on track for an
increase in global temperature of 6°C. In contrast, to achieve
the goal of cutting emissions by 50%, emissions would have
to peak during the next decade and decline to 14 Gt in 2050
a reduction of 48 Gt from the reference. An upcoming
IEA publication, titled Energy Technology Perspectives
2008, will outline what would need to be done in practical
terms to achieve this goal. It will show that improving
energy efficiency is top of the list. Next we would need to
decarbonise electricity generation. And finally, we would
need to revolutionise the transportation sector.
Energy Efficiency
Improving energy efficiency is fundamental. However,
currently it is not happening. The improvement in energy
efficiency in IEA member countries in the past ten years has

een poor, and only about half the rate of improvement in
previous decades. A fundamental turnaround is needed. To
achieve the 50% cut in emissions we would have to improve
energy intensity from the current rate of just 1.6% annually
to 2.7 % annually. Thankfully, we know what to do. The IEA
has identified 16 concrete recommendations for improving
energy efficiency covering all energy end uses. These were
endorsed by leaders at the past two G8 Summits and, if fully
implemented, they could save up to 5.7 Gt CO2 by 2030.
Energy efficiency is a ‘triple win’ solution. Firstly, it delivers
the same service to the user, at lower cost. Second, it leads
to lower dependence on imported fuels. Third, it improves
the environment. Based on this triple win, I have some very
blunt advice which is applicable to all countries, whether or
not they are ready to adopt greenhouse gas targets: “We have
shown you the policies to improve energy efficiency, now it
is up to you to implement! implement! implement!”
Power Generation
Any meaningful emission reduction in coming decades
implies a virtual decarbonisation of the power generation
sector. After all, the rapid growth in CO2 emissions from
coal-fired power stations led to the surge in global emissions
in the past few years. China alone added over 70 GW of new
coal-fired capacity in 2007 — the equivalent of a new unit
every two-and-a-half days. Thankfully, its new units are large
(500 MW) and are mostly state-of-the-art technologies.
Deployment of carbon capture and storage (CSS) will
therefore be vital as coal will undoubtedly remain the lowest
cost and most accessible fuel for some of the most dynamic
developing economies. The IEA has calculated that, given
the growing demand for electricity, 38 coal and 20 gas-fired
power plants would have to be fitted with CCS technology,
each and every year between 2010 and 2050. In addition, we
would have to build an additional 26 new nuclear plants each
year throughout that period. Furthermore, renewables would
have to play a much stronger role. For example, wind capacity
would have to increase by 17,500 turbines each year.
Transport Sector
To achieve a 50% cut in emissions we would also have to make
an eightfold reduction of the carbon intensity of transport.
This represents the most difficult and costly step due to the
ongoing rapid demand growth and limited potential based on
existing technology. Cost effective efficiency improvements
of up to 50% are already possible, provided that the trend
towards heavier vehicles can be contained. But we would
also require the widespread deployment of new technologies.
Advanced biofuels and hydrogen fuel cells, and advanced
plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles fuelled by carbon-free
electricity, are possible options, but it is hard to tell which
technology or combination of technologies will prevail.
The Challenge
IEA preliminary analysis suggests that investment of around
US$50 trillion would be needed for a 50% reduction in
emissions, on top of what would be required under a business
as usual scenario. This amounts to roughly 1% of total GDP
from 2005-2050.
The impact would be more significant for certain sectors,
regions and countries. Predictable and long-term incentives
alongside stable government policy would be needed to
empower industry to accept the risk associated with this
huge investment. However, there are other challenges
which may prove to be more difficult than attracting
investment. Technical issues have to be overcome before
many of the promising new energy technologies could be
widely deployed. The public would also have to become
more accepting of living with wind farms in their backyards,
not to mention nuclear reactors. We would also have
to dramatically boost the numbers of engineering and
technical graduates. Questions exist on the availability
of sufficient geological formations for captured CO2 or
geologically stable sites for nuclear reactors or waste storage.
In short, meeting the target of a 50% cut in emissions
represents a formidable challenge. We would require
immediate policy action and technological transformation
on an unprecedented scale. We would also need the
participation of all major economies. It would essentially
require a third industrial revolution, or an energy revolution,
which would completely transform the way we produce and
use energy and entail painful adjustments.
Governments have a key role to play in this new energy
revolution. They must be prepared to invest in researching
and developing key technologies that are not yet commercial.
This will not be easy — energy research budgets of IEA
governments have declined both absolutely and as a
percentage of GDP since the early 1980s. But in the end, it
will be left to industry to consider the policy options and then
put them to work to deliver the desired results. Government,
industry, financial markets, and consumers will all have to
work together.
Time to Act
The world’s energy economy is on a pathway that is not
sustainable, on many fronts. This statement is not new. But
it is nevertheless shocking, particularly given the political
capital that has been devoted to improving the situation
in recent years. In terms of the short-to-medium-term oil
market, the situation is not sustainable as we continue to
remain in a period of high and volatile prices, low spare
capacity and low stock coverage. There is an urgent need for
investment to ensure an adequate cushion between supply
and demand. At the same time, the energy economy is not
sustainable from an environmental perspective. But things
can change. The IEA has identified policies and technologies
that can lead to very substantial savings in energy
consumption and CO2 emissions. For these to be achieved,
decisions have to be taken now and implementation has to
begin now. The primary scarcity facing the planet is not of
natural resources or money, but time. We will need to start
putting our words and commitments into actions. Delay is
no longer an option. It is time to act.
Mr Tanaka’s presentation to the AIE was sponsored by ACIL
Tasman, one of Australia’s leading economic and policy
consultants.
ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008 37

Energy and Water
Energy and Water in Tasmania
Presentation to Melbourne Branch, by Andrew Catchpole, Hydro Tasmania,
as part of the afternoon discussion with key industry representatives of the
“Increasing Interactions between Energy and Water Markets” on 26 March 2008.
Hydro Tasmania owns and operates 29 hydropower stations,
59 major dams, 188 headwork gates and valves, 22 canals,
19 tunnels, 43 pipelines, and 63 generators. Its hydropower
generating capacity of 2,260 MW is supplemented by 228 MW
of gas-fired thermal capacity at Bell Bay. Hydro Tasmania
generates 10,000 GWh per annum, which is about half of
Australia’s renewable energy and more than twice the energy
output of the Snowy scheme (from half the installed capacity).
It is also 50% owner of R40s: Woolnorth (130MW); Musselroe
(129MW, proposed); Cathedral Rocks in South Australia;
Waterloo in Victoria; and 11 overseas (nine commissioned or
under development in China and two in India).
Tasmania has valuable water resources but rainfall distribution
is uneven in both location and time. Rainfall is predominantly
from the west, and mostly in winter and spring. The catchment
area of 21,000 square kilometres (total area of Tasmania is
64,000 square kilometres) receives around 15,000 GL (gigalitres)
annually. The long-term average yield is 10,000 GWh per
annum, and on-island annual demand of approximately 11,000
GWh is met by hydro, gas and Basslink imports. Increasingly,
hydro systems are becoming peak load suppliers.
38 ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008
Basslink is the world’s longest undersea high voltage direct
current cable. It allows Hydro Tasmania to take the place of a 600
MW peak generator in Victoria, and allows Tasmania to import
up to 450 MW in off-peak energy. Since commissioning in April
2006, 3,568 GWh of energy has been imported to Tasmania,
while 921 GWh has been exported to Victoria. Victoria avoids
the cost of building generation to meet peak demand and
Tasmania avoids the cost of building generation to meet energy
load and insures against drought.
Other uses of water in Tasmania are irrigation (204 GL in
2005–06) and industrial (48 GL in 2004–05); but by far the
biggest user of water is hydropower generation (38,162 GL in
2004–05, including multiple use through two or more power
stations. Hydro Tasmania is Australia’s biggest water manager,
and is affected by the current drought. Although this year’s
rainfall is only 20% down on average, it comes on top of 10 dry
years. This highlights the value of fuel diversity through hydro,
wind, gas and imports. It is not just hydropower generation that
is affected. We need to manage a range of environmental and
stakeholder impacts, including threatened species, recreational
fishing, water quality (eg algal blooms), other recreational uses,
and visual amenity.
For the past 30 years, we have received 5% less rain than the
long-term average; and in the past 10 years, 5% less again. Is it
climate change? We don’t know, but it is prudent to act just in
case it is. Adapting to climate changed involves changing the
business model, finding the ‘lost’ energy in the system and the
Tasmanian Climate Futures Project.
As the value of water rises, peak generation becomes more focused
towards higher prices. This biases the business model towards
peak generation and away from base load generation. Generating
to meet peak load requires much less water than base load supply.
However generation for shorter periods means asset cost must be
recovered over a shorter time period. This is achieved by selling
contracts, such as caps — insurance for retailers, with very short
periods of export to back the contract portfolio.
The major areas of focus to recover 1000 GWh of energy in the
Tasmanian system are:
Canal maintenance Dam raising
Conveyance upgrade Dam construction
Major redevelopments Storage increase
Catchment diversions Small hydro
Turbine runner improvements.
Tasmanian Climate Futures Project is a 3-year partnership
working with a range of scenarios to 2100. Partners are:
Antarctic CRC CSIRO
Tasmanian Government Hydro Tasmania
University of Tasmania Bureau of Meteorology
Tasmanian state emergency services
Tasmanian Partnership for Advanced Computing
Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research
Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities Programme
Geoscience Australia.

Developments in oil and gas
Special Feature
As the price of crude oil hovers around US$130 per barrel, it is timely
to consider what is happening in the upstream petroleum sector in Australia.
According to the February 2008 EnergyQuest Quarterly
Report, “the Australian petroleum sector grew strongly in
2007, reflecting continuing high oil prices, surging world
LNG demand (and prices) and higher domestic demand for
gas-fired generation to offset reductions in hydro and coalfired
generation. Australian petroleum production grew by
4.6% in 2007, almost reaching the 2000 record of 474 million
barrels (MMbbl) of oil equivalent. Oil production increased
by 3.2%, the first increase in Australian oil production since
2000. Production of natural gas increased by 6.0% to a
record 1,705 petajoules (PJ). Coal seam methane production
climbed by 40.2% to reach 113 PJ, representing 17.4% of east
coast production.”
However, these record levels of production are not expected
to last. As the Hon Martin Ferguson, Minister for Energy,
pointed out: “With only about a decade of known oil
resources remaining at today’s production rates, Australia
is looking down the barrel of a A$25 billion trade deficit in
petroleum products by 2015.”
Mr Ferguson was speaking at the Australian Petroleum
Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) conference
in April 2008. At the conference, under the theme Energising
Change, Mr Ferguson pointed out that, “… together with
increasing concern about climate change, the insatiable thirst
for energy means that energy security is one of the big issues
confronting Australia and the world today”.
“Access to energy resources is the key to continuing economic
growth and the challenges of meeting global energy demand
– in a sustainable way – are daunting,” he said.
“Australia not only has to look to its own future when it
comes to energy security and cleaner energy sources and
technology, it has to be part of the solution to economic
growth in the region – and its environmental impact.
Almost 20% of our total exports are energy resources – and
that is growing. ‘Energising change’ is about seizing the
opportunities we have to unlock the wealth of Australia’s
vast resource potential, particularly our natural gas — not
only for the benefit of the Australian community but for our
friend, Japan, which has been with us from the beginning
in developing the Australian resources sector; and for the
hundreds of millions of people being lifted out of poverty in
developing Asian nations, such as China and India — also
highly valued and growing trade and investment partners.
“The Australian Government knows that we face strong
competition from other nations offering alternative petroleum
exploration and project development opportunities. It is a
real challenge to find the next Bass Strait — or anything
like it. The Australian Government is looking to focus
the exploration industry’s attention on new frontiers.
Geoscience Australia’s current precompetitive work is highly
respected by the petroleum exploration industry for its
provision of leading-edge, low cost, high-quality information.
We are committed to Geoscience Australia’s continuing
work in this area and it will form part of the exploration
incentives package I have asked my Department to prepare
in consultation with the industry and the Treasury.
“It is vitally important to encourage exploration in our
frontier basins because they are the most likely places
where a big new oil province may be discovered. Energising
change is also about expanding the ways in which we use
our gas resources — for LNG exports, as a domestic fuel
for Australian industry and power generation, and for new
export industries like ultra-clean GTL (gas to liquids) diesel.
Balancing our desire to grow exports while ensuring there is
sufficient gas available at a fair market price to meet the needs
of Australian industry and consumers is a great challenge.
New gas developments such as Kipper, Blacktip and Reindeer
will help meet Australia’s domestic gas demand. But more
needs to be done, particularly in Western Australia, and I
intend to work closely with the industry to facilitate more
commercial domestic gas projects in the next few years.”
This special feature focuses on activity in Australia. The first
two articles come from Geoscience Australia. Although fairly
technical in content (which will appeal to the petroleum
geologists in our readership), they demonstrate to all that
there is still much to find out about the extent of oil and gas
resources in Australian onshore and offshore basins using
the latest techniques.
The importance of gas to the future mix is exemplified
by the development of the Kipper Gas Project in the Bass
Strait. Project Manager Peter Symes made a presentation
to AIE Melbourne Branch on 16 April and a summary is
reproduced here.
Mr Ferguson also talked about the importance of a safe and
secure working environment for all those involved in the
oil and gas industry. The final article in this special feature
covers the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority’s
(NOPSA’s) safety awareness campaign.
EN
ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008 39

Is Onshore Australian Really ‘Dry’?
Opening the untapped oil and gas potential of old basins
By Thomas Bernecker, Onshore Energy & Minerals Division, Geoscience Australia
In response to the declining oil supply, the Australian
Government provided Geoscience Australia with funding
for the Energy Security Program (2006-2011). The purpose
of this program is to supply precompetitive data to stimulate
exploration in under-explored regions of Australia,
including assessments of uranium, thorium, geothermal
and hydrocarbon resources. The Onshore Petroleum Project
focuses on those sedimentary basins (outside the proven
Cooper/Eromanga hydrocarbon province) that are thought
to be prospective for oil and gas, as indicated by previously
recorded hydrocarbon shows.
Australia’s onshore basins contain elements
of petroleum systems of Neoproterozoic to
Late Mesozoic age, whereas offshore basins
host petroleum systems almost exclusively
of Late Palaeozoic to Tertiary age. This
difference in basin fill ages is likely to have a
profound impact on the overall distribution
of commercially viable hydrocarbons as
many of the geologically older onshore
provinces were overprinted by at least
one major orogenic phase. Therefore, the
various preservation stages of generated
hydrocarbons in these old basins are key
issues that impact on prospectivity and are
the subject of current investigations.
Geoscience Australia’s newly acquired
potential field data (aeromagnetics and
gravimetry) provide modern images
of basement terranes and associated
lineaments that have a controlling influence
on basin formation and evolution. Of
special interest are the occurrence and
distribution of sub-basins and depocentres
that, so far, have remained hidden beneath
thick sediment cover. The regional deep
seismic program continues in 2008 with
the acquisition of data across the Gawler
and Curnamona cratons, which will
include a section across the southern
Arrowie Basin. Later in the year, a deep
seismic survey will be acquired across the
eastern Officer Basin as far north as the southern Amadeus
Basin. Another major survey is planned for 2009–10 across
the Kidson Sub-basin, possibly along the Canning Stock
Route. It is anticipated that the processed data will allow the
delineation of structural styles in great detail and highlight
unconformities and reactivation surfaces.
40 ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008
The new data will be made available to industry to assist
current and future explorers in their efforts to unlock the
untapped hydrocarbon potential in these frontier regions.
The challenge exists to overcome the perception that any
hydrocarbon discoveries made in Australia’s old onshore
basins are likely to be small. It should be noted that many
older Palaeozoic basins around the world are proven
hydrocarbon producers. These include the Tarim Basin in
China (where the Ordovician source rock interval alone is
believed to be able to produce 800 MMbbl of oil and 4 trillion
Map showing sedimentary basins and generalised hydrocarbon distribution in
onshore Australia. Insert at top right shows the petroleum wells drilled to date,
highlighting the under-explored status of the continent
cubic feet (Tcf) of gas), and the onshore Oman salt basins
(where a 50,000 square-kilometre Cambrian source rock area
produces up to 2,200 MMbbl of oil and 24 TcF of gas). There
is still a lot of ground to cover in onshore Australia!
renew your Membership online
http://www.pams.com.au/aienat
EN

Offshore Energy Security Initiative and Core Petroleum Program
An update of future surveys and new directions
By Peter Southgate, Edward Bowen, Barry Bradshaw, Marita Bradshaw, Dianne Edwards,
Robert Langford, Nadege Rollet and Jennie Totterdell, Petroleum Prospectivity & Promotions
Group, Petroleum & Marine Division, Geoscience Australia
The Australian Government’s Offshore Energy Security
Initiative (2006-2011) will provide precompetitive data and
information to stimulate petroleum exploration in Australia.
The forward program has been developed in consultation
with industry and the respective state and territory geological
surveys. It will focus on three offshore frontier regions:
remote frontiers in offshore eastern Australia, south-west
margin; and southern margin.
Petroleum systems modelling in producing regions will form
part of the ongoing core petroleum program. These studies
are aimed at improved resource estimates and stimulating
further exploration. Negotiations are currently underway
with a number of organisations to partner with Geoscience
Australia to deliver these models.
Remote Eastern Frontiers
Between December 2006 and January 2007, Geoscience
Australia acquired approximately 6,000 kilometres (km) of
industry standard 2D seismic data in the Capel and Faust
basins, 800 km east of Brisbane. The survey identified
numerous depocentres, some 150 km in length and 40 km in
width, with up to 7 km of sediment fill. Initial interpretation
has identified a potential pre-rift succession, three synrift
phases (clastic/volcanic), two post-rift carbonate
packages, and episodes of post-rift igneous activity. Possible
correlations with the Capricorn, Great South and deepwater
Taranaki basins have been suggested.
In late 2007 the RV Tangaroa completed a marine
reconnaissance survey of the Capel and Faust basins.
Geophysical datasets acquired on this survey included
gravity, magnetics, multibeam sonar, and sub-bottom
profiler data. An accompanying seafloor sampling program
acquired geological and biological samples from potential
seepage sites and representative areas of the sea floor,
to search for indications of active petroleum systems
and to document marine biodiversity and habitats. The
multibeam sonar revealed seafloor features that appear
to reflect the underlying basin structure. The gravity and
magnetic coverages are expected to significantly improve
the delineation of depocentre boundaries. Seafloor sampling
and camera footage provided information on the substrate
composition and potential fluid escape sites. Current work
involves interpreting and integrating these datasets to define
the rift basin architecture and tectonostratigraphic history to
better understand the region’s petroleum prospectivity.
South-West Margin
Between November 2008 and March 2009, Geoscience
Australia will undertake two major surveys to investigate the
Mentelle, north Perth and southern Carnarvon basins and
Abrolhos, Houtman and Zeewyck sub-basins.
Seismic acquisition in the Mentelle basin will infill the 50
km grid interpreted under the New Petroleum Program,
to provide a dataset with a line spacing of 20–30 km. The
improved seismic grid will provide critical data on basin shape
and sediment architecture, permitting petroleum systems
models to be developed at the regional scale. The schedule
for seismic acquisition, processing and interpretation suggest
a 2010 date for release of acreage in the Mentelle basin.
The deep water Houtman and Zeewyck sub-basins and the
north Perth and south Carnarvon basins will be the focus for
acquisition of new 2D seismic and the reprocessing of open-file
industry seismic. As the petroleum exploration well information
is limited in the deeper water Houtman and Zeewyck subbasins,
open-file seismic data from the shallow water Abrolhos
sub-basin will be used to constrain the stratigraphies.
The Wallaby Plateau is a poorly understood fragment
of continental crust located in the southern parts of the
Carnarvon basin. It has been suggested that a reconnaissance
seismic acquisition grid and geological sampling program
would provide insight into the location of potential
depocentres and whether or not gas-producing stratigraphies
of the Exmouth Plateau may extend to the southwest.
Southern Margin
The southern margin synthesis study aims to integrate the
results of earlier studies to better understand the breakup
history between Australia and Antarctica, resolve
outstanding stratigraphic correlation problems and permit
improved resource prediction.
A cooperative National Geoscience Agreement project
between Geoscience Australia and the Tasmanian Geological
Survey is funding the acquisition of about 104,000 line km
of airborne magnetics data at a line spacing of 800 metres in
the Bass and Sorell basins, offshore Tasmania. Acquisition
commenced in January 2008 and will be completed by April.
The new data will permit improved resolution of offshore
structure and distribution of volcanic rocks and intrusive
bodies. In subsequent years of the program, 2D seismic is
scheduled to be acquired in the Sorell basin and possibly
over the South Tasman Rise.
Between February and March 2007, a prospectivity
validation survey of the Bight basin recovered source rocks of
Cenomanian-Turonian age, with TOC values of 2–6.2 % and
HI values of 274–479. This clearly demonstrates the existence
of a good quality source rock in the Bight basin and studies
are underway to establish if possible correlations may exist
between these rocks and the asphaltite strandings common
on the southern margin. 2D petroleum systems modelling
studies are also underway for the Bight basin to further
support upcoming acreage release in 2009 and 2010. EN
ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008 41

Bass Strait Gas Rises Again
By Peter Symes, Kipper Gas Project Manager, Esso Australia
The first major hydrocarbon fields discovered in Australia
were the Bass Strait gas fields — Barracouta in 1965 and
Marlin in 1966. In those days, and until fairly recently, gas
was always a consolation prize in the hunt for oil. Since those
first discoveries a lot of oil has been found in Bass Strait and
a lot more gas in the process.
The Bass Strait fields fundamentally changed the economic
outlook for Australia, and particularly Victoria. Over the past
four decades, Gippsland oil and gas has contributed A$2.2
billion annually to Australia’s real GDP and A$700 million per
year to real business investment. It has contributed over A$300
billion to Australian Government revenues since 1970 in
present value terms. This equates to over 2% of all government
revenues collected in the period. Overall Esso’s Gippsland
operation is estimated to have stimulated more than 50,000
jobs in the Victorian labour market and this includes 14,000
jobs in Gippsland alone. With over A$13 billion invested in
infrastructure, we are well into the process of transforming
the focus of this from oil production to gas.
West Tuna Platform, Bass Strait
Local trends are consistent with increasing global demand
for gas. At ExxonMobil, we believe that global demand will
continue to increase by about 1.7% annually between now
42 ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008
and 2030. That demand is being driven by the dual forces of
economic development and the growing need for electric
power. The situation is similar in Australia. There is rapidly
growing demand for power generation and we see gas
meeting an increasing proportion of that growth. Driving the
increasing gas demand is a combination of favourable public
policy and growing awareness that natural gas is a cleanburning,
environmentally-friendly energy source. In fact, gasfired
power generation produces up to 70% lower greenhouse
gas emissions than coal and uses up to 80% less water.
With this in mind, we are in a very fortunate position in
south-east Australia in that the Gippsland Basin fields still
have significant gas resources which have the potential for
sale to customers in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia
and New South Wales via an existing network of pipelines.
After almost four decades of production we have only used
about half of the discovered gas reserves in our Gippsland
fields, and we are continuing to build on these reserves.
We have added a trillion cubic feet of gas to our reserves
in the past four years. That’s enough gas to power a city of
a million people for 20 years. We are currently evaluating
the untested deeper basin gas potential under our existing
fields. This includes our current drilling program deep
below the Snapper field. We are applying today’s advanced
formation evaluation and drilling technology in order to
get the maximum value from our extensive Gippsland
infrastructure. Over the past 10 years we have also invested
over half a billion dollars in upgrading our onshore gas
processing and liquids extraction plants at Longford and
Long Island Point to position them for their important role
into the future. This includes the installation of the latest
production-optimisation process control systems as well as
a range of integrity upgrades. Now we are investing offshore
in opportunities to extend and increase gas production in
the face of the growing demand.
In 2002 we installed a new gas pipeline to our Bream field
with the capacity to produce 200 million cubic feet per day.
Then last December we announced the go-ahead for the
billion dollar Kipper Gas Project — one of the largest gas
developments to come on stream in Victoria since discovery
of the initial Bass Strait fields. Kipper contains 620 billion
cubic feet of gas and 29 million barrels of condensate
and LPG. The Project is being pursued by a joint venture
between subsidiaries of ExxonMobil (Esso Australia, 32.5%,
Operator), Santos (35%) and BHP Billiton (32.5%) together
with arrangements with Gippsland Basin Joint Venture
(ExxonMobil subsidiary Esso Australia and BHPB). This in
itself represents a new era for our Gippsland operations. For
more than 40 years we have been operating under a 50:50
joint venture with BHP Billiton in Bass Strait. The Kipper
Unit Joint Venture production will be the first gas to use
the Gippsland facilities that has third-party ownership with
the involvement of Santos. Commercial arrangements were
agreed in 2006, paving the way for front-end engineering

design and a full funding decision in 2007, followed by
the awarding of major equipment supply and installation
contracts in April 2008.
The Kipper field, located in 100 metres of water about 45
kilometres offshore, will be developed by the installation of
a number of subsea wells with production piped onshore to
the existing plant at Longford. The Kipper wells will be tied
back to the West Tuna platform and new 450mm diameter
gas pipelines will be constructed from West Tuna to Marlin
and from Marlin to Snapper. The gas will be delivered from
Marlin and Snapper to Longford via existing trunklines.
Illustration of Kipper subsea wells
The new pipelines will also help to efficiently produce over
500 billion cubic feet of gas remaining in the Tuna field. In
addition to these projects, we are in the process of completing
the front end engineering design on another major project
National Safety Awareness Campaign
By Louise Dumas, External Affairs Officer, NOPSA
Ageing facilities and lifting operations are a concern for
Australia’s offshore petroleum safety regulator NOPSA
(National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority).
NOPSA is conducting a national awareness campaign to
alert employers and workforce of two major classes of risk
currently facing the industry. Ageing facilities and lifting
operations on offshore petroleum installations are the focus
of the campaign. Ageing facilities pose an increased risk of
hydrocarbon releases, while lifting operations increase the
risk of injury to individuals.
The CEO of NOPSA, John Clegg, said that ageing facilities
in the oil and gas industry were a global problem and had
the potential to heighten risk. “Many operators are using
facilities on a ‘life extension’ basis which means that the
operating life of the facility has been extended beyond its
original ‘use by date’. Because of this, operators undertake
risk assessment and improvement programmes.” He said the
scope of NOPSA’s facility integrity national programme is
to facilitate the industry operator’s inspection, testing and
maintenance arrangements to prevent loss of containment
of petroleum fluids that may arise from failure of offshore
production topside structures, process equipment, piping
aimed at producing gas from the Turrum field situated below
Marlin. We also plan to build a new gas conditioning plant
at Longford to process the gas from Kipper and other future
developments such as Turrum. This would be located east of
the existing gas plants at Longford on existing land already
cleared for such a purpose. Front end engineering design is
scheduled to begin next year. Key construction contracts
have been awarded for the Kipper Gas Project and we expect
construction to start from the second half of this year. This
will keep us on schedule to deliver first gas to South-East
Australia in 2011.
Illustration of Bass Strait oil and gas fields with Kipper
EN
and systems. Lifting operations on offshore facilities are
some of the most ‘routine’ of tasks carried out yet have been
recognised globally as carrying significant risk. “We need a
continued focus to improve safety in these risky but routine
offshore operations,” Mr Clegg said.
NOPSA’s lifting operations program inspects operator’s
lifting procedures and arrangements for inspections,
maintenance and testing of lifting equipment. The scope of
this programme covers loads freely suspended from a crane
or winch – including personnel and man-riding. Indications
from data collected suggest that personnel competency
and the management of lifting and crane operations are the
main areas of concern. Mr Clegg said that the Australian
offshore petroleum industry generally manages the hazards
associated with its operations very successfully but there is
no room for complacency.
“NOPSA aims to deliver world class health and safety
regulation for the Australian offshore petroleum industry
and this entails working closely with industry to identify
risks and improve health and safety outcomes.”
EN
ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008 43

Articles
An overview of Advanced
Clean Coal Technologies
By B. Moghtaderi (FAIE), Deputy Director, Priority Research Centre for Energy,
Chemical Engineering, University of Newcastle
Fossil fuels currently contribute to 64% of global anthropogenic
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Over one-third of global
CO2 emissions are the result of stationary power generation
from fossil fuels. The anticipated increase in the world’s
population together with the expected growth in energy
demand from fossil fuels will undoubtedly cause a steady
rise in GHG emissions unless novel energy technologies
combined with effective national and international energy
policies are introduced and implemented. More than 80% of
the emission cuts in the power generation sector are expected
to be the results of fuel switching to renewable resources and
the introduction of Clean Coal Technologies (CCTs) featuring
CO2 capture and storage (CCS) capabilities. This article
provides a techno-economic assessment of CCT options.
Advanced Power Generation Technologies
There are a host of near-zero and zero emission (NZ&ZE)
technologies that either exist or are being developed
for power generation from fossil fuels and combustible
renewable resources such as biomass. As Figure 1 illustrates,
the nature and techno-economic characteristics of
NZ&ZE technologies are underpinned by options of fuel,
fuel conversion technology, CO2 mitigation strategy, and
products which can range from heat and power to hydrogen,
transportation fuel and chemicals. The fuel option of interest
in this article is coal, although biomass, natural gas and oil are
also of significant importance in a more general context.
Figure 1: Basic elements of NZ&ZE technologies
Fuel conversion technology options currently under research,
development, demonstration and/or deployment comprise
a series of first and second-generation technologies. First-
44 ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008
generation technologies which are either at demonstration
and/or deployment stage are:
(i) pulverised coal power plants fitted with flue gas
desulphurisation facilities (PC+FGD);
(ii) super-critical and ultra-super-critical pulverised coal
power plants equipped with desulphurisation units
(SC/USC+PC+FGD);
(iii) natural gas combined cycle power plants (NGCC);
(iv) integrated gasification combined cycle power plants
(IGCC); and
(v) integrated drying gasification combined cycle plants
(IDGCC).
Second-generation conversion technologies consist of
chemical looping combustion (CLC) and chemical looping
gasification (CLG). CO2 mitigation options underpinning
NZ&ZE technologies are essentially based on either CCS
or fuel switching strategy (ie part replacement of fossil fuels
with biomass). There are three CO2 capture approaches: precombustion,
post-combustion, and oxy-firing. These options
are discussed in more details in the following sections.
Advanced CCT Options
(Pre-Combustion Capture of CO2)
The pre-combustion capture approach can be tailored so
that the main product is hydrogen or electric power or
both (polygeneration). In either case, the process begins by
gasification of the fuel to syngas (H2 and CO mixture) followed
by a water gas shift reaction to produce H2 for heat and power
and a concentrated stream of CO2 ready for sequestration.
Therefore, in the pre-combustion capture the CO2 is
captured after the gasification stage but before combustion
of H2. Gasification can be achieved by conventional methods
(coal gasification) or advanced technologies such as IGCC,
IDGCC, and CLG with NZ&ZE footprints. IGCC and IDGCC
are essentially combined cycles in which the electricity is
generated by both gas (Brayton) and steam (Rankine) cycles.
IDGCC is very similar to an IGCC but has a dedicated
drying unit upstream of the gasifier. As such, IDGCC is more
suitable for low rank coals such as lignite. Both IGCC and
IDGCC are more efficient and environmentally superior to
their combustion-based counterparts, with typical thermal
efficiencies in the range of 50–60%. However, IGCC and
IDGCC -based systems have not been commercially deployed,
primarily because of their high capital costs and technological
challenges associated with: solid handling issues, optimisation
of the gasification process; oxygen separation, and separation
of hydrogen from CO2.

CLG technology is based on the concept of chemical looping
which is a cyclic process. In this concept the loop (cycle)
begins when an oxygen carrier (eg a metal oxide) provides
oxygen to a reaction site (ie fuel reactor) and is reduced by
oxidising the fuel. The reduced carrier is then reacted with
air in a second reactor. This enables the reduced carrier to
remove oxygen from air and regenerate itself (ie carrier is
oxidised), hence, closing the loop. Depending on the type
of the carrier, its reactivity and circulation rate, any desired
reaction conditions can be achieved in the fuel reactor
ranging from depleted oxygen environments suitable for
gasification of the fuel to excess oxygen environments
for combustion. For example, CLG can be employed for
gasification of coal if CaSO4 is used as a carrier at circulation
rates that provide about 5–8% oxygen concentration in the
fuel reactor. The major challenges associated with CLGbased
conversion technologies are: development of more
effective oxygen carriers and more innovative reactor designs
that allow smooth circulation of carrier particles with no gas
leakage between the reactors.
Advanced CCT Options
(Post-Combustion Capture of CO2)
By and large the selection of post-combustion capture
technologies for CO2 removal depends on flue gas properties
such as chemical composition, pressure, temperature
and volume, which vary according to fuel type or power
generation scheme. Typically the concentration of CO2
in the flue gas of a PC type power plant is about 13% by
volume, while for a NGCC plant the concentration is just
over 3%. IGCC and IDGCC exhaust stream have typical CO2
concentrations of about 7%.
Post-combustion CO2 capture methods include:
(i) solvent absorption;
(ii) adsorption on activated carbon or other materials;
(iii) cryogenic separation; and
(iv) membrane separation.
Solvent absorption relies on chemical and/or physical
absorption. Chemical absorption is preferred for low to
moderate CO2 partial pressures often encountered in PC
plants. For applications at higher pressure (ie IGCC) physical
absorption is preferred. The most common solvents used
for chemical absorption are amine-based chemicals such
as mono-ethanolamine (MEA), di-ethanolamine (DEA),
and methyl-diethanolamine (MDEA). Solvents suitable for
physical absorption are cold methanol, dimethylether of
polyethylene glycol, propylene carbonate, and sulfolane.
Absorption-based CO2 capture systems are quite wellestablished
and mature technologies and have been used in
process, chemical, and oil and gas industries for over 70 years.
These technologies are readily available and can be retrofitted
into existing PC and NGCC power plants. The main issue,
particularly in amine-based systems, is the considerable
amount of energy required for the regeneration process.
Absorption technologies also suffer from high degradation
and corrosion rates in the presence of oxygen. As a result,
the hardware associated with absorption technologies is
relatively large and expensive. Absorption technologies also
lead to higher operational costs because of efficiency losses
associated with their energy demand. Furthermore, the
presence of impurities, such as SOx and NOx may degrade
the performance of absorption-based systems. This can be
easily resolved if an FGD unit is retrofitted to the power
plant. However, the capital investment associated with FGD
may be quite substantial particularly in an Australian context
where most of the power plants lack FGD units because of
low sulphur content of Australian coals.
Physical adsorption of CO2 is another post-combustion
capture technology which relies on adsorption of CO2 on
the internal pores of a bed of high surface area materials,
such as zeolites and activated carbon. Pressure swing
adsorption (PSA), temperature swing adsorption (TSA), and
electrical swing adsorption (ESA) are potential adsorption
technologies for CO2 capture. While both PSA and TSA
are commercially in use in various industries, they have not
been yet deployed for large-scale post-combustion capture
of CO2 because of their low operational temperatures and
their lower selectivity and capacity for CO2 removal when
compared with absorption-based systems. In terms of energy
demand, adsorption systems are slightly less demanding than
their absorption counterparts.
In cryogenic separation, CO2 is liquefied at very low
temperatures and, hence, selectively removed from the
flue gas. Because of its energy demands the cryogenic
separation process does not seem to be a viable option for
large-scale post-combustion capture of CO2 from coal-fired
power plants.
Membranes rely on a barrier film to separate CO2 from the
flue gas. The film allows selective permeation of CO2 and
can be made from a host of different materials. Two types
of membrane systems are most suited to post-combustion
capture: gas separation and gas absorption membranes. In
the former the selective transport of CO2 through the barrier
film allows it to be separated from other gas species. In the
latter the role of the barrier film is merely to provide contact
between the flue gas and an absorption liquid which removes
CO2 from the gas stream. Membrane systems hold a great
deal of promise for post-combust capture of CO2. They are
modular, simple and have been in commercial use for several
decades. However, membranes have been predominately
employed in liquid-liquid and liquid-solid separation. The
use of membranes for gas separation dates to the early
1990s and has yet to achieve a reasonable level of maturity
and reliability. The use of membranes for large volumetric
gas flow rates has also not been optimised yet. In addition,
membrane systems suffer from low operating temperatures
and high production costs.
Advanced CCT Options
(the Oxy-Firing Concept)
The combustion of coal in air typically leads to a very
dilute CO2 concentration in the flue gas stream (about
13% by volume) rendering many post-combustion capture
technologies economically unsuitable. Combustion of coal
in an O2 environment — ‘oxy-firing’ — is one of several new
technologies for enrichment of CO2 in the flue gas to levels as
high as 95%. Oxy-firing can be accomplished through either
the ‘oxy-fuel’ or chemical looping combustion.
ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008 45

In the oxy-fuel option, the O2 environment is typically
generated by an air separation unit. However, to prevent
excessively high flame temperatures and to minimise the
volume of the flue gas to be treated, a significant portion of
the flue gas is recycled into the combustion chamber. Oxyfuel
combustion is an enabling process that can be retrofitted
to existing PC plants (Figure 2). It has the added benefit that
by recycling the flue gas NOx emissions are considerably
reduced. The major drawback of the oxy-fuel approach
(apart from heat transfer and combustion related issues) is
its need for an air separation plant which is expensive and
energy intensive.
Figure 2: Schematic — oxy-firing technology (oxy-fuel version)
retrofitted to a PC boiler
Source: CCSD
CLC is one of several emerging combustion technologies
which also facilitate the post-combustion removal of CO2.
Fuel combustion in CLC takes place in the absence of
nitrogen ensuring that the main constituents of the flue gas
are CO2 and water vapour which can be easily separated
from CO2 by cooling the exhaust gas and removing the
condensed liquid water. The CLC process is carried out by
cyclic reduction and oxidation of a metallic oxide oxygen
carrier (eg oxides of Fe, Cu, Co, Mn, and Ni) that is circulated
between two interconnected reactors (see Figure 3). Thus,
fuel and air never mix and CO2 does not get diluted by
nitrogen. There is no energy penalty associated with CO2
capture in the CLC process; an issue currently restricting the
widespread deployment of CO2 capture options from dilute
CO2 streams by solvent and membrane systems. The main
limitation of CLC is that the process is currently suitable for
gaseous fuels only. The wider acceptance of the CLC hinges
upon extending the concept to coals using, for instance, an
intermediate gasification process or direct injection of the
solid fuel. R&D efforts focusing on these approaches are
being undertaken across the world although to date it has
been limited to bench and pilot-scale studies.
Economic Assessment
CO2 capture from combustion processes is rather expensive
and energy intensive and, hence, is economically viable only for
large and highly efficient plants. Efficiency losses due to capture
and compression of CO2 at 100 bar are estimated to be 8–12%
for first generation CCT options and in the order of 3–8%
for second generation technologies such as CLC and CLG.
46 ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008
Figure 3: Schematic — CLC version of oxy-firing technology
Efficiency losses imply that increased coal feeds are required.
While the increase for conventional power plants fitted with
post-combustion capture facilities could be as high as 35–40%,
for the first generation CCT options the increase is expected
to decline to 10–30%. Second generation technologies may
need as low as 6% extra fuel. Based on all indicators, it appears
that the most expensive component of the CCT options is the
capture which may constitute up to 75% of the combined cost
of the capture, transport and sequestration. According to the
latest estimates by IEA, typical cost of CCS in coal-fired power
plants range from A$34 to A$100 per tonne of CO2 avoided.
The cost includes A$25–90/tCO2 for capture, A$1–12/tCO2
per 100 km for transport, and A$2.5–12/tCO2 for storage and
monitoring. The impact of CCS cost on electricity retail prices
will roughly be 2.8 cents/kWh. However, using a combination
of future technologies, new legislations, and tax incentives
the total cost of CCS is projected to fall below A$30/t CO2 by
2030. This, in turn, reduces the impact on the electricity price
down to about 1.5 cents/kWh.
References
IEA, Key World Energy Statistics, 2005.
IEA, World Energy Outlook 2006, Fact Sheets: “Global Energy
Trends” and “Alternative Policy Scenarios”.
IEA, Solutions for the 21st Century — Zero Emissions Technologies
for Fossil Fuels, 2002.
IEA, IEA Energy Technology Essentials, Biomass for Power
Generation and CHP and CO2 Capture & Storage, 2006.
Cottrell A, Nunn J, Palfreyman D, Urfer D, Scaife P, Wibberley L.,
Technical Assessment report 32; CRC for Coal in Sustainable
Development (CCSD), 2003.
Gurba L., Ikeda E. (eds), Techno-Economic Modelling of the
Energy Systems, Proceedings of the Standard Modelling Group
Workshop, CCSD, 2006.
A more comprehensive version of this article is available as
a downloadable pdf at www.aie.org.au

garnaut Climate Change review
Interim Report and Emissions Trading Scheme Discussion Paper released
The Garnaut Climate Change Review released its interim
report on 21 February 2008. Although it is too late to
comment formally — submissions were due by 11 April
2008 — recommendations will not be finalised for the final
report until later in the year. As the final report will influence
future government policies, readers’ reponses are welcome
through letters to the editor or short articles. Send to editor@
aie.org.au
“Australia is relatively well placed to do well in a world
of comprehensive global efforts to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions,” said Professor Ross Garnaut. “We should
promote strong global action on climate change and be
prepared to match the commitments of other developed
nations. Contrary to the conventional wisdom which
has dominated Australian debate over the past decade,
comprehensive global efforts to reduce emissions will play
to Australia’s strengths. It is in Australia’s interests for the
world to adopt a strong and effective position on climate
change mitigation.”
The Report states that Australia’s interest in strong global
action stems from its exceptional sensitivity to climate
change and its exceptional opportunity to do well in a world
of effective global mitigation.
“We have many resources and skills that will allow us to
convert strong global action into an economic opportunity,”
said Professor Garnaut. “We have a first-rate skills base
in areas related to innovation, management and financial
services. We have rich renewable energy resources. We are
among the world’s largest exporters of uranium and natural
gas which can benefit from the low-emissions efforts of other
nations, and our agricultural sector emits less than other
developed countries. By contrast, Australia would be a big
loser — possibly the biggest loser among developed nations
— from unmitigated climate change.”
“Australia is more vulnerable to climate change than most
other developed nations as we are highly sensitive to climate
variation, and we are surrounded by mostly developing
Summary of Australian ETS model for discussion:
Design decision Proposal
Setting an emissions
limit
nations, which are likely to be adversely affected by rising
temperatures,” he said.
The review was commissioned by Australia’s Commonwealth,
state and territory governments to examine the impacts
and opportunities of climate change. It will put forward
a national framework for action, with recommendations
for medium to long-term policy options to minimise the
environmental and economic impacts of climate change.
Due to a sustained period of high economic growth — led
by China and India — the world was moving towards high
risks of dangerous climate change more rapidly than had
been generally understood.
“Faster emissions growth makes mitigation more urgent and
more costly. The challenge is to end the linkage between
economic growth and emissions of greenhouse gases,” said
Professor Garnaut.
The interim report states that Australia should make firm
commitments this year to both 2020 and 2050 targets that
reflected similar adjustment costs to that accepted by other
developed countries.
“Australia should be ready to go beyond its stated 60%
reduction target by 2050 in an effective global agreement that
includes developing nations,” said Professor Garnaut.
The report also supports the development of bilateral and
regional agreements to accelerate domestic and international
action. Unilateral and regional efforts under way in parallel
to global efforts might make for a ‘messy’ process, but it is
one which has the highest chance of success in the short
time available, according to the report.
The interim report sets out some initial considerations for
the design of Australia’s emissions trading scheme (ETS), due
to come into effect in 2010. Further detail on the review’s
proposals for ETS design was released in a discussion paper
on 20 March 2008. The elements of the proposed ETS design
are summarised in the following table.
Government should set the emissions limit for Australia. This emissions limit should be
expressed as a trajectory of annual emissions targets over time, which define long term
budgets.
Trajectories
Four trajectories should be specified upon establishment of the ETS. The first up to 2012 will
be based on Australia’s Kyoto commitments. The other three for the post-2012 period reflect
increasing levels of ambition. Movement between them should be based on determining the
comparability of Australia’s response to international effort.
The Review will provide advice to government on trajectories and interim targets for an
Australian ETS. This will be informed by economic modelling currently underway and
further analysis, and presented in the full reports.
ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008 47

Changes to the
emissions limit
Deciding to move from one trajectory to another should only be made on the basis
of international policy developments and/or agreements (which should allow for new
information and developments of an economic or scientific kind).
Conditions which would lead to a movement from one trajectory to a more stringent
trajectory would be specified in advance.
Once on one trajectory, government provides five years notice before movement to another.
Any gap between the domestic trajectory and international commitments during this period
would be reconciled by the independent authority purchasing international permits.
Coverage Gases: Six greenhouse gases as defined by the Kyoto protocol.
Sectors: Stationary energy, industrial processes, fugitives, transport and waste from scheme
outset. Agriculture and forestry to be included as soon as practicable.
Domestic offsets Domestic offsets should be accepted without limits, but will have a small role, given broad
coverage.
Point of obligation Set at point of emissions where practical. Where transaction costs are lower than the cost of
distortions that may arise, upstream or downstream may be appropriate.
Permit issuance
(or release)
International
linkages
Price controls Not supported.
Permits released according to emissions reduction trajectory. All permits auctioned at
regular intervals. (Note, some permits may be used in lieu of cash in providing transitional
assistance to traded-exposed, emissions-intensive firms at risk.)
Opportunities for international linkage of the Australian ETS should be sought in a judicious
and calibrated manner.
Inter-temporality Unlimited hoarding allowed. Official lending of permits by the independent authority to
the private sector allowed, but may be subject to limits, in terms of quantity and time,
determined by the independent authority.
Treatment of TEEIIs Some industries rely significantly on emissions-intensive production processes, and are
substantially unable to pass costs of emissions through to customers because price of
commodity or good is determined on international markets. Transitional financial assistance
(possibly in the form of free permits) should be provided to account for distortions arising
from major trading competitors not adopting emissions limits (or pricing).
Governance Policy framework set directly by government.
Scheme administered by independent authority.
Compliance
and penalty
Use of permit
revenue
Penalty to be set as a compliance mechanism. Penalty does not replace obligation to acquit
permits; a ‘make-good’ provision would apply. Alternatively, the use of revenue from a
financial penalty could be used to purchase abatement.
Auctioning of all permits will be the source of a substantial amount of government revenue.
Governments will need to assess competing priorities for this revenue, which may include:
• Payments to TEEIIs (to correct for market failures);
• Payments to households;
• Structural adjustment to support declining communities;
• Payments to firms to correct market failures in relation to new technologies;
• Support for public infrastructure; and
• Cash reserves to purchase international permits/offsets to reconcile domestic emissions
with international commitments.
The political acceptability of the introduction of the ETS would be enhanced by government
commitment to transparently return to the community through the mechanisms outlined
above or in other ways, all of the revenue generated by the sale of permits.
Extract from “Emissions Trading Scheme Discussion Paper”, Garnaut Climate Change Review, March 2008, www.garnautreview.
org.au (extracted 19 April 2008)
48 ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008

government scheme
helps deliver cleaner energy
By Sarah Stent, Corporate Affairs Manager, TRUenergy
A new 400 MW power station is being constructed in
Yallah, New South Wales, with the support of AusIndustry’s
Enhanced Project By-law Scheme. The scheme provides duty
free entry on eligible goods for major investment projects
that provide opportunities for Australian participation.
The scheme is aimed at projects in the mining, resource
processing, food processing, manufacturing, agriculture,
gas supply, power supply and water supply industries. It
aims to encourage the development of major opportunities
for local businesses.
TRUenergy’s gas-fired Tallawarra Power Station will be
completed in time for summer 2008–09. It will use highefficiency
combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) electricity
generation technology and will be the most efficient large
scale gas-fired power plant in Australia, emitting 70% less
CO2 per unit of electricity than conventional coal-fired
power stations.
The Enhanced Project By-law Scheme ensures that many
of the project’s suppliers are Australian. Under the scheme,
TRUenergy is eligible for duty relief on imported equipment
when it cannot be sourced from Australian businesses.
Tallawarra Project Manager Geoff McEntee says the scheme
has resulted in many major parts being sourced within
Australia, rather than from China, Malaysia and Europe, as
originally planned.
Examples of how the Enhanced Project By-law Scheme has
led to Australian components being used include:
● the generator transformer, which was expected to come
from China or Europe, and has now been sourced from
Brisbane;
● the water treatment plant, which was originally to be
made in Malaysia, and is now being supplied by Australian
company, Osmoflow, and
Locally-built chimney stack in two parts
● the chimney stack, which was to be shipped from Malaysia
in many parts, but has instead been made by a local
company, constructed in only two parts.
“One of the advantages of using Australian suppliers is that
delivery is much faster, and large parts, such as the chimney
stack, do not have to be assembled from many smaller parts,”
said Geoff McEntee.
“There are also quality control benefits. For instance, if one of
our parts needs servicing, the manufacturer is close by. In the
energy business, we require extremely fast repair times. This
is a lot easier if a parts manufacturer is just down the road.”
Local suppliers have won contracts worth around $50
million. Going forward and looking beyond construction
and commissioning, the plan is to source employees from
the local Illawarra area from operational support to
engineering services.
To find out more about AusIndustry’s Enhanced Project
By-law Scheme, visit www.ausindustry.gov.au, call 13 28 46
or email hotline@ausindustry.gov.au EN
2008 AIE National Postgraduate Student Energy Awards
The 2008 National Postgraduate Student Energy Awards will be held in Sydney on 18 November,
in conjunction with the AIE national AGM. These biennial awards bring together the winners from
AIE Branches all over Australia to recognise and reward postgraduate student research in any field of
energy. In keeping with the format adopted in 2006, each Branch (or group of Branches) will hold its
own competitions, selecting a winner to enter the national competition. Students will be required to
prepare a poster of their work and to explain their research, and this will be judged by an independent
panel. There will be generous prizes in a number of categories.
If you are a postgraduate student in energy research and interested in participating in this
competition please contact your local AIE Branch.
The AIE is also seeking industry sponsorship for these awards. Interested organisations should
contact Tony Vassallo on (02) 9810 2216.
ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008 49

Book Reviews
The Handbook of
Biomass Combustion and Co-Firing
Edited by Sjaak van Loo and Jaap Koppejan, Earthscan, ISBN: 978-1-84407-
249-1, http://shop.earthscan.co.uk/ProductDetails/mcs/productID/589
This handbook on the theory and
application of biomass combustion
and co-firing was the major output
of the International Energy Agency’s
(IEA’s) Bioenergy Task 32 — Biomass Combustion and Cofiring.
Australia, through the government-industry alliance
Bioenergy Australia (http://www.bioenergyaustralia.org), was
an active participant and contributor to this handbook.
IEA Bioenergy (http://www.ieabioenergy.com) is an
international collaborative program involving some 20
countries, plus the European Commission, and operates via
the conduct of a series of tasks. For the past decade Bioenergy
Australia has been the vehicle for Australia’s participation.
Some seven years ago, Task 32, Combustion and Co-firing,
decided as part of its program of work to prepare an earlier
edition with the same title, and this was published in 2002.
The earlier edition was an immediate success, being translated
into Chinese, and also being reprinted as an international
student edition in soft cover. Based on the success of the
first edition, and some rapid developments in this field, the
Executive Committee of IEA Bioenergy endorsed Task 32’s
proposal to significantly revise and rework the handbook
for its 2004–06 triennium work program. This handbook is
the culmination of this collaborative task.
The revision of the handbook has seen the text expanding
from 348 pages in the first version, to 442 pages in the current
edition, reflecting the addition of new sections and expansion
of others. Areas which have received greater emphasis relate
mainly to biomass ash characterisation and behaviour,
environmental aspects of combustion, policies relating to
biomass combustion, and research and development needs
and ongoing activities.
The handbook is likely to be of substantial interest in the
current Australian setting. In the context of Australia
expanding the Mandatory Renewable Energy Targets
(MRETs) from the current target of 9,500 GWh per annum of
additional renewable energy by 2010, to an anticipated 45,000
GWh by 2020, bioenergy is likely to play an important part
in Australia’s future generation mix. Australia’s total current
bioenergy capacity is presently approximately 700 MW, in
which sugar cane bagasse combustion predominates. This
is only a very small fraction of the national generation mix,
but bioelectricity could potentially play a significantly larger
role in the future, especially given that the global capacity of
modern bioelectricity generation is some 40 GW, of the same
scale as Australia’s total coal-fired capacity. As such, a text
of this nature is an essential resource for anyone interested
in biomass combustion and co-firing as we advance into a
carbon constrained era.
50 ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008
The Handbook of Biomass Combustion and Co-firing
includes the following content: 1) Introduction; 2) Biomass
Fuel Properties and Basic Principles of Biomass Combustion;
2) Biomass Fuel Supply and Pre-Treatment; 3) Domestic
Wood-Burning Appliances; 5) Combustion Technologies for
Industrial and District Heating Systems; 6) Power Generation
and Co-Generation; 7) Co-Combustion; 8) Biomass Ash
Characteristics and Behaviour in Combustion Systems;
9) Environmental Aspects of Biomass Combustion; 10)
Policies; 11) Research and Development: Needs and Ongoing
Activities; plus annexes elaborating on Mass Balance Equation
and Emission Calculation; European and National Standards
or Guidelines for Solid Biofuels and Solid Biofuel Analysis.
Australia’s contribution to this handbook is evident in the
Co-Combustion chapter. This chapter, authored by Professor
Behdad Moghtaderi of Newcastle University, with some material
provided by Peter Coombes of Delta Electricity, contains several
new sections dealing with materials handling and combustion
issues. These new sections are based on research carried out in
the CRC for Coal in Sustainable Development.
The handbook is liberally illustrated with figures and tables.
One disappointment is the quality of several of the black and
white illustrations, especially after having seen an electronic
preview of the book with colour images.
The text is aimed at a range of readers, from highly informed
technical researchers to those wishing to gain a broad
appreciation of the many dimensions of biomass combustion
and co-firing. While some aspects of the handbook are likely
to be of lesser interest to Australian readers, such as domestic
wood heating, aspects such as the co-combustion of biomass
with coal in large utility boilers is likely to appeal to those
seeking highly efficient, base load renewable energy, as cocombustion
is one of the cheapest forms of renewable energy.
The handbook points out that over 150 power station units
worldwide now implement biomass co-firing with fossil fuels,
mainly coal. Some of the newer technologies that receive
attention in this edition are wood pellets for both domestic and
industrial use, steam piston and steam screw engines, organic
Rankine cycle units, closed gas turbines and Stirling engines.
Overall, it is most pleasing to see the release of this definitive
handbook, the fruition of the work of IEA Bioenergy Task 32
over the previous triennium. I commend The Handbook of
Biomass Combustion and Co-firing to those with an interest
in bioenergy as a form of renewable energy.
Dr Stephen Schuck
Manager, Bioenergy Australia, and IEA Bioenergy
Executive Committee Member

Pinch Analysis
and Process Integration
A user guide on process integration for the efficient use of energy,
by Ian C Kemp, Elsevier, 2006, rrP A$123.50. (Note, available direct
from Elsevier Australia Customer Service, Tel: 1800 263 951,
Fax: (02) 9517 2249 or email customerserviceau@elsevier.com)
Pinch technology was developed
during the 1970s as a means
for improving the efficiency
of industrial process plants. It
provides a methodology based
on thermodynamics for analysing industrial or any heat
transfer processes in order to minimise the total energy used.
The prime objective of pinch technology is to minimise energy
usage by better process heat integration. It is used to identify
where process-to-process heat recovery can be made and
therefore minimise external utilities (heating and cooling).
The book explains how pinch technology provides insights
which are neither obvious nor provided by common sense,
and provides examples of this. In brief, pinch technology
analyses a system by first identifying the changes in enthalpy
(the first law of thermodynamics) of the process, or heat
exchangers. It then uses the temperatures of the heating and
cooling streams (the second law of thermodynamics states that
energy can only flow from the hot to the cold body). This is
then used to prepare composite heating and cooling curves on
enthalpy versus temperature axis. The pinch is defined as the
closest points between these two curves. It also represents the
available temperature difference for heat transfer. Minimising
the pinch will reduce the total energy use. Maximum savings
can be determined by optimising the heat exchanger sizing.
Pinch Analysis and Process Integration starts with sections
on History and the Key Concepts. It is interesting to note
that pinch technology was first developed when utility prices
were very high. It seems appropriate that it should become
topical today. The book then gets into detail with chapters
on: Data Extraction and Energy Targeting; Heat Exchanger
Network Design (for typical chemical process applications);
Utilities, Heat and Power Systems (where all the heating or
cooling cannot be provided by heat exchange and is provided
by external utilities). Then complex plants are investigated
Editor,
with chapters on: Process Change and Evolution (where
process change analysis is used to determine the effect a
change of one process stream will have on the whole plant)
and Batch and Time-Dependent Processes. The book finishes
with chapters on Applying the Technology in Practice and
Case Studies including examples on a hospital site and
opportunities for cogeneration.
I purchased Pinch Analysis and Process Integration prior to
conducting a detailed thermal analysis of a brewery. I found
the book more useful as a detailed text on the subject, rather
than for use as a quick reference. It has some good examples
on a variety of unusual applications, but they will probably
require some reading and understanding. Knowledge of the
contents of the book is essential for the efficient utilisation
of heat in complex industrial facilities. It is a good reference
for people attempting cogeneration, which is discussed. Heat
recovery is nearly always cheaper than cogeneration systems.
It is therefore much more economical to integrate the
cogeneration plant into the system with heat recovery, rather
than simply add it to the utilities. This can be analysed using
pinch technology. With the application of pinch technology,
both capital investment and operating cost can be reduced;
emissions can be minimised; and throughput maximised.
I believe the book has achieved its objectives, which are
stated in the conclusion: “Ultimately process understanding
is the key to safe, efficient and effective design and operation.
If this book has helped you understand your plant, process or
site better, it has succeeded in its task. Happy analysing.”
Rod Hislop, Energeering Pty Ltd
Rod Hislop is a mechanical engineer with nearly
30 years experience in the design and installation of
utilities for buildings and industrial facilities.
Energeering Pty Ltd specialises in the installation of
energy-efficient projects.
Letters to the Institute
Murray Meaton, in his President’s Message — Interesting Times
— in the March 2008 issue of ENErgyNews (Vol. 26, No.1),
comments on the challenges in meeting the “…ambitious target
to cut greenhouse emissions by 60% by 2050”.
He identifies the need for: research and development;
business facilitation; and, investment in renewable energy
sources. He describes two necessary conditions to be met if
the fundamental objective of deriving cleaner energy from
coal is to be achieved:
1. substantial effort towards the “development of a broad
range of policy options”; and
2. “careful commercialisation”, after “examination of all
energy sources, uses and impacts”.
Based on the experience of my professional life, I construe the
term ‘business facilitation’ to refer to the development of robust
business cases for making the very large scale investments in
assets — both physical and human — and infrastructure,
required to achieve the 2050 target. I take the term ‘careful
commercialisation’ to refer to minimisation of the monetary
ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008 51

52 ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008
National Energy Essay
Competition
Major prizes
National exposure
www.neec.org.au
The NeeC, introduced in March 2008 issue of ENErgyNews, is now open. we are seeking young
leaders, innovators and lateral thinkers who can bring informed and enlightened insights and
potential solutions to the evolving energy demand and supply problems facing Australia.
The competition is open to individuals and teams (maximum three members). All entrants must be
Australian citizens or permanent residents, and under the age of 31 years at 30 June 2008.
risks associated with stranded assets and infrastructure, or
asset and infrastructure impairment, as consequences of
business and government decision outcomes.
Mr Meaton rightly states that the Australian Institute of
Energy has a role to play. I submit that an element of that
role is to contribute towards establishing broadly a shared
understanding of the meaning of the terms ‘business
facilitation’ and ‘careful commercialisation”.
The publication ENErgyNews is consistently interesting
and informative. I note, however, that the business of
elevation to commercial practice of strategic options open
to regions of Australia, to meet the challenge of ensuring
sustainable livelihoods — in the full sense of the meaning of
the word ‘sustainable’ — is not a topic that receives serious
Dear Secretary,
Thank you for the subscription reminder of 28 January. As
explained in previous years, I am a proud member of the AIE,
and almost an original founding member in Perth.
I am aged 73. Over the past 8 years my wife and I have been
missionaries working in Nepal. In 2003, I was appointed by
Kathmandu University to be their Professor of Mechanical
Engineering. We ‘retired’ in October 2006 but returned for
three months in 2007 (with expenses paid but no salary — their
distinguished Vice-Chancellor only earns A$700 per month)
to teach a final year subject no-one else could handle.
We have just returned home from Nepal again; there this time
mainly to help and guide my two research projects — Pico
Go to www.neec.org.au to register your entry.
entries now close 22 August 2008. Don’t miss out.
attention. Perhaps ENErgyNews could provide a forum
in which key business entities and government agencies
present the risk weighted costs and Expected Monetary
Values of different investment options, to the degrees of
theoretical soundness (depth) and justifiability (breadth)
associated with preliminary feasibility analysis. Decision
analysis at the level of preliminary feasibility assessment
can be based satisfactorily on public domain data and
information. It is when the decision situation is decomposed
to the level that consideration is given to a narrow range of
options for elevation to commercial practice that Proprietary
Information Protection becomes an important aspect of the
conduct of decision analysis.
Regards,
Dr Geoff Whitfield
turbines — 750 W and and 1.5 kW units generate sufficient
output to light every house (using WLEDs) in a mountain
village of 2,000 people; and Coolstores which can hold contain
some 30,000 items of fruit. Apparently I am to be asked to
return again next year for at least three months.
As I intend to put FAIE after my name on the research papers,
and because the AIE has been so understanding about my
years of generally unpaid professional service in Asia, I
thought I should pay my AIE subscription this time.
Best wishes,
Dr John Cannel, FAIE

New Individual Members
Name Grade Branch
Mr John Marsiglio Fellow Melbourne
Mr John Price Fellow Melbourne
Dr Simon Wilson Member Melbourne
Mr Aamir Iqbal Student Melbourne
Mrs Tiffany Thomson Associate Sydney
Mr Tony Baird Student Melbourne
Mr Ronald Farra Ainge Associate Sydney
Mrs Catherine Tierney Student Sydney
Dr Idris F. Sulaiman Member Canberra
Prof Owen E. Potter Fellow Melbourne
Ms Stephanie Rowland Member Perth
Membership Matters
The members’ section of ENErgyNews
ENErgyNews welcomes contributions to Membership Matters, including member profiles, company
member profiles, anecdotes, and advertising. Send ideas and contributions to editor@aie.org.au
New Company Members
Company Name Representatives Branch
Thiess Pty Ltd Mr Jim Aquino Perth
Mr Stephen Urquhart Perth
Melbourne
• Melbourne Branch visited Carlton Brewhouse to gain a
better appreciation of energy use in the brewing industry
on 14 February 2008.
• Dr Peter Redlich, Director Energy Technology Innovation,
Department of Primary Industries explained Victoria’s
Energy Technology Innovation Strategy program, and
Gordon Carter, Managing Director, HRL Limited, provided
an overview of the 400 MW Integrated Drying Gasification
and Combined Cycle project proposed for the Latrobe Valley,
at a lunch meeting on 27 February 2008.
● Afternoon discussion on the ‘Increasing Interactions
between Energy and Water Markets’, with key industry
representatives on 26 March 2008.
South Australia
• Graeme Samuel, Chairman, Australian Competition and
Consumer Commission, presented ‘Petrol Prices and
Australian Consumers’ on 22 February 2008.
• Clay Wohling, Partner, Minter Ellison Lawyers, presented
‘Energy Regulation: What’s on the Horizon for 2008?’ on 27
March 2008.
For Melbourne Branch events, see https://pams.com.au/aie
New Members
Name Grade Branch
Mr Benjamin Grace Student Sydney
Mr Mark G. Thompson Associate Sydney
Mr Peter Halyburton Fellow Sydney
Mr Murray Scott Halyburton Graduate Sydney
Mr Brent Griffiths Member Sydney
Ms Anntonette Joseph Member Sydney
Mr Peter Giannopoulos Fellow Melbourne
Mr Peter Murray Whittle Associate Melbourne
Ms Samantha Wong Graduate Sydney
Mr Andrew Barson Graduate Sydney
Company Name Representatives Branch
Worley Parsons Power WA Mr Barry Lake Perth
Mr Steve Haddon Perth
Around the Branches
Sydney
• At a four societies meeting on 5 March 2008, Associate
Professor Keith Lovegrove, Solar Thermal Group Leader,
ANU Dept of Engineering, presented ‘Future Prospects for
Large-Scale Solar Thermal Power Technologies’.
• Bede Boyle, AustCoal Consulting, and Richard Hunwick,
Hunwick Consulting, presented ‘CCS and the Future
of Coal-Based Power Generation in Australia’ on
10 March 2008.
• Sydney Young Energy Professionals hosted a meeting with
Dr David Hemming, Manager Sustainable Energy, NSW
Department of Energy and Water, and Dr Mark Diesendorf,
UNSW Institute of Environmental Studies, who discussed
the ‘Interface between Energy Technology Development and
Energy Policy’ on 27 March 2008.
Canberra
• Mr Nubuo Tanaka, Executive Director, International Energy
Agency, talked about the IEA’s role in addressing global
energy challenges at an evening presentation sponsored by
ACIL Tasman on 17 March 2008.
For all forthcoming AIE events,
see http://www.aie.org.au/events.htm
ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008 53

Young Energy Professionals
This year is proving to be a very exciting year for the Sydney
Young Energy Professionals. They have recently signed Energetics
as the platinum sponsor of the 2008 YEP Program.
“Energetics is one of Australia’s leading energy, greenhouse and
sustainability consulting firms, and this should be the beginning
of a very productive time for both organisations,” said Sydney
YEP Chair, Steven Nethery.
“As the energy industry changes and becomes an increasingly
exciting place to work, we hope that the YEP Program will be the
place to learn and to develop careers in this innovative industry.
The Sydney flagship event — a collaborative forum on energy
efficiency — is coming up on 17 June. The forum will involve
presentations by experts and an interactive session, which will
allow participants to contribute their views and interact with the
experts. Participants of previous YEP Forums praised the format,
so we hope to see many participants at the event this year.”
To find our more about the forum and YEP, send an email to
yepsyd@aie.org.au
Sydney Seminar
The Sydney YEPs held their first seminar for the year in March, under
the title The Interface between Energy Technology Development and
Energy Policy. Nick Florin sent in this summary.
The topic gave strong emphasis to the urgent need for
greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation strategies from all levels of
government in order to halt the acceleration of global warming.
Two very qualified speakers — Mr David Hemming and
Dr Mark Diesendorf — presented two different perspectives
across a range of critical issues, from solar hot water to the
National Emissions Trading Scheme (NETS).
David Hemming’s presentation provided a broad overview of
greenhouse and renewable energy policy in NSW and Australia,
including: mandatory market-based instruments (eg MRETs)
and voluntary options (including funding for deployment, and
public education for consumer awareness). These options were
presented in the context of the new central policy instrument,
ie NETS. David argued that that complementary measures,
such as: MRETs, RD&D and energy efficiency remain critically
Branch Site Visit
54 ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008
important for meeting GHG emissions targets.
Mark Diesendorf argued that the only way to achieve significant
emission reductions by 2020 was with: the rapid deployment
of renewable energy technologies, eg wind energy, electricity
generation from biomass waste residues, and solar hot water;
more efficient use of energy; and the transitional generation of
electricity from gas. Dr Diesendorf stressed the importance of long
and short-term targets in order to meet emission reduction goals,
and policy that targets the deployment of energy technologies that
can reduce emissions now, eg significantly enhanced MRETs, and
banning all new conventional coal-fired power stations.
The presentations were very well received, provoking more
questions and discussions than the time permitted. Parsons
Brinkerhoff sponsored this event by providing the venue and
a plentiful supply of refreshments and snacks, and the Sydney
YEPs wish to express their gratitude for this support.
Making meetings matter
In April, Sydney YEPs learnt how to ‘make meetings matter’ in a
workshop facilitated by Richard and Maria Maguire of Unfolding
Futures. Richard and Maria led the group in a discussion of
facilitation dynamics and what makes a good or bad meeting.
After comparing meeting horror stories, participants were
introduced to the Objective Reflective Interpretive Decisional
(ORID) discussion method. They learnt how this technique can
be used to lead effective meetings that allow everyone to express
their ideas and which result in well thought out decisions. The
workshop was hosted in association with the NSW Section of
the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
Melbourne YEPs Gain Momentum
There was standing room only for those that just rocked along
without booking for the Melbourne YEP meeting on 15 May at
the offices of the Victorian Department of Innovation, Industry
and Regional Development. Some 80 young energy professionals
gathered to hear the three wind energy engineers that organiser Mike
Bagot had arranged to talk about their industry. Congratulations
Mike on a very successful event. There will be a summary of the
presentations in September issue of ENErgyNews.
To kick start the year,
Melbourne Branch visited
Carlton Bre whouse.
Attende es gaine d a
better appreciation of
energy and water use
in the brewing industry
and, after the fascinating
tour and presentation,
enjoyed a tasting of the
end product.

The big news is the 17th World Hydrogen Energy Conference which is being held in Brisbane 15–19 June 2008.
In place of Hydrogen Matters for this and next issue, the September 2008 issue of ENErgyNews will include a special
feature on hydrogen energy, based on the material presented at the conference.
PRESIDENT
Murray Meaton
Economics Consulting Services
Ph: (08) 9315 9969
email: murray@econs.com.au
VICE-PRESIDENT
Tony Vassallo
Ph: (02) 9810 2216
email: tvassallo@invenergy.com
TREASURER
David Allardice
Ph: (03) 9874 1280
Mobile: 0418 100 361
email: allad@bigpond.net.au
SECRETARY
Paul McGregor
McGregor & Associates
Ph: (02) 9418 9544
email: paul@pmac.com.au
Tony Forster
Forster Engineering Services
Ph: (03) 9796 8161
email: forster@ozonline.com.au
Rob Fowler
Abatement Solutions – Asia-Pacific
Ph: (02) 8347 0883
Mobile: 0402 298 569
email: rob.fowler@abatementsolutionsap.com
Brisbane
Dr Patrick Glynn
Ph: (07) 3327 4636, Fax: (07) 3327 4455
Mob: 0409 610 823
email: Patrick.Glynn@csiro.au
Canberra
Ross Calvert (Acting Secretary)
Ph: (02) 6241 2865
email: rcalvert@homemail.com.au
Hydrogen Division
Bradley Ladewig
ARC Centre of Excellence for
Functional Nanomaterials
Ph: (07) 3346 3813, Fax: (07) 3346 3973
email: b.ladewig@uq.edu.au
Malcolm Messenger
Messenger Consulting Group
Ph: (08) 8361 2155
email: mjmessenger_aie@yahoo.com.au
Colin Paulson
Ph: (02) 4393 1110
Mobile: 0422 030 830
email: vivcol@adsl.on.net
Paul Riordan
Department of the Environment,
Water, Heritage and the Arts
Ph: (02) 6275 9250
Mobile: 0403 399 439
email: paul.riordan@environment.gov.au
Dennis Van Puyvelde
CO2CRC
Ph: (02) 6120 1612
Fax: (02) 6273 7181
email: dvanpuyvelde@co2crc.com.au
Gerry Watts
Ph: (03) 6259 3013
Mobile: 0418 352 543
email: gapwatts@bigpond.com
Melbourne
Glenne Drover
Regional Development Victoria
Ph: (03) 9651 9360
email: glenne.drover@rdv.vic.gov.au
Newcastle
Jim Kelty
Ph: (02) 4961 6544
email: jim.kelty@advitech.com.au
Perth
Dougal West
WA Office of Energy
Ph: (08) 9420 5651, Fax: (08) 9420 5700
email: Dougal.West@energy.wa.gov.au
Hydrogen Matters
AIE Board 2008
BRANCH REPRESENTATIVES
BRISBANE
Andrew Dicks
Ph: (07) 3365 3699
email: adicks@eng.uq.edu.au
EDITOR
Joy Claridge
PO Box 298, Brighton, VIC 3186
Ph: (03) 9596 3608
Mobile: 0402 078 071
email: editor@aie.org.au
SECRETARIAT
Australian Institute of Energy
PO Box 193
Surrey Hills VIC 3127
Ph: 1800 629 945
Fax: (03) 9898 0249
email: aie@aie.org.au
Branch and Division Secretaries
South Australia
Graeme Atwell
Ph: 0418 776 616
email: g_atwell@internode.on.net
Sydney
David Hemming
NSW Department of Energy and Water
Ph: (02) 8281 7406, Fax: (02) 8281 7451
email: david.hemming@dwe.nsw.gov.au
Tasmania
Sue Fama
Ph: (03) 6230 5305
email: sue.fama@hydro.com.au
ENErgyNews — Volume 26 No. 2 June 2008 55

Company Member Directory
McLennan Magasanik Associates
(MMA) is expert in electricity.
MMA has over twenty years
experience in consulting on
natural gas issues.
MMA has strong capabilities in
economic analysis and modelling.
MMA has worked widely on strategy
involving the environment for
governments and private companies.
MMA specialises in market
research associated with
utilities and infrastructure.
MMA has completed assignments
on the valuation of water, on pricing
strategies, and demand forecasts.
www.MMAssociates.com.au
Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited
www.cfcl.com.au
Acciona Energy
www.acciona.com
Support
the
companies
that
support
the AIE
leadership in Energy
Australian Institute
of Energy
The Australian Institute
of Energy brings together
professionals concerned with
the supply and use of energy
in Australia. Its mission is to
promote understanding and
awareness of energy issues and
the development of responsible
energy policies in Australia.
www.aie.com.au
Minter Ellison has the
largest specialist energy,
resources and climate
change legal practice
in South Australia.
Our local, national and
international energy and
resources experience spans
electricity, gas, wind, water
and alternative fuel.
We place as much emphasis
on the way we work with
clients as on the quality
of the solution we deliver.
www.minterellison.com
Testo Pty Ltd
www.testo.com.au
oFFICE oF TASMANIAN
ENErgy rEgUlATor
www.energyregulator.tas.gov.au

Company Member Directory
Electricity.
Some people make it,
sell it or regulate it.
ElectraNet,
moves it.
ElectraNet
owns and manages
the South Australian
transmission system
in the National
Electricity Market.
www.electranet.com.au
Company members,
place your
listing here
Include your
company’s name
and logo, as well as
up to 50 words of
promotional text.
Send an email to
editor@aie.org.au
Connell Wagner is one
of Asia-Pacific’s largest
and most experienced
multi-disciplinary engineering
consulting firms.
Its Energy Group provides
engineering and technical
advisory services to the power
generation, substation,
transmission and distribution,
and oil and gas industries.
We specialise in all facets
of renewable and
conventional energy projects:
feasibility studies,
project development,
design, owner’s engineer
and construction
management, strategic
technical advice,
refurbishments, operations
and maintenance.
www.conwag.com
Envestra Limited
www.envestra.com.au
Australian Institute
of Energy
www.aie.com.au
Watermark is a leading
Australian intellectual
property firm,
with offices in Sydney,
Melbourne and Perth.
We have extensive
experience and specific
expertise in the protection
and management of IP
in the field of energy
technology, including:
oil and gas, renewable
energy, power engineering,
electricity generation
and energy-efficient
vehicle design.
Call to explore how we can
help you.
www.watermark.com.au
Division
EnergySafety
www.energysafety.wa.gov.au
Company members,
place your
listing here.
Send an email to
editor@aie.org.au

Forthcoming AIE Events in 2008
Calendar
29 July in Sydney Energy in NSW 2008; Supply and demand side prospects
Venue: Sydney Masonic Centre Program and registration to be finalised
18 August in Sydney Technical meeting with EnergyAustralia (EA), followed by a tour of EA’s new
Energy Efficiency Centre in Homebush
2 September in Sydney Site tour of Mt Piper Power Station
For more information about Sydney Branch events, email sydney@aie.org.au
13–14 August in Perth Energy in Western Australia 2008 In collaboration with WA Office of Energy
http://www.energy.wa.gov.au/conference
If your branch has organised an event for the fourth quarter of 2008 or early 2009, send details to editor@aie.org.au to
promote the event in the ENErgyNews. Allow for the lead time — events scheduled from October onwards need to be
notified by the middle of August to appear in September issue.
other Events 2008
9–11 July in Singapore Asia Pacific Corporate Social Responsibility Conference
http://www.apac-csr.com
16–18 July in Darwin South East Asia Australia Offshore Conference http://www.seaaoc.com
22–23 July in Sydney Australian Energy and Utility Summit http://www.acevents.com.au/energy2008
23–24 July in Sydney 2nd Annual Climate Change Summit http://www.climatechangesummit.com.au
28–30 July in Palm Cove, Queensland Electrical Energy Evolution in China and Australia http://www.eeevolution.org/
15–17 August in Sydney International Green Build, Design & Technology Show
http://www.greentechshow.com.au
21–22 August in Brisbane EESA National Conference and Trade Exhibition
http://www.eesa.asn.au/events/national
9–13 September in Husum, Germany HUSUM WindEnergy 2008 http://www.husumwindenergy.com
13–14 September in Australia ANZSES Sustainable House Day www.sustainablehouseday.com
23 September in Canberra ENA Gas Seminar http://www.ena.asn.au
5–9 October in Buenos Aires, Argentina 24th World Gas Conference http://www.wgc2009.com
6–8 October in Ljubljana, Slovenia Hydro 2008 http://www.hydropower-dams.com
8–10 October in Paris, France International Gas Union Research Conference http://www.igrc2008.com
9–12 October in Augsburg, Germany RENEXPO 2008 http:// www.renexpo.com
13–16 October in San Diego, USA Solar Power Conference & Expo http://www.solarpowerconference.com
30–31 October in Sydney EESA State Conference and Trade Exhibition Email eesa@tmm.com.au
3–6 November in Paris, France World Ethanol 2008 Email conferences@agra-net.com
24-26 November in Gold Coast Clean Energy Council Conference & Exhibition 2008
http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au
other Events 2009
22–24 March in Brisbane FutureGAS 2009 http://futuregas.com.au
Please note that the events listed here are based on information sent to the Institute by event organisers. The AIE does not
necessarily endorse the views of the speakers. The events are brought to the attention of members as potentially contributing
to discussion on relevant energy issues. If you know of any conferences or other major events that would be of interest to AIE
members and will be held from October 2008 to September 2009 please email details and web link to editor@aie.org.au