Viva Energy has filed an environment effect statement (EES) for its proposed LNG regasification terminal at the former Shell oil refinery in Geelong 50 km west of Melbourne for public comment.
The project is the first stage in Viva’s vision, first announced in June 2020, to convert the refinery into a comprehensive energy hub for Victoria and eastern Australia (OGJ Online, June 16, 2020).
Viva estimates construction and commissioning of the LNG terminal will take up to 18 months, while the project is anticipated to operate for 20 years.
The plan involves importing up to 160 petajoules/year of gas via LNG from other parts of Australia and overseas which will then be regassified and sent into the Victorian grid.
Construction
Construction includes localized dredging at the refinery pier in Corio Bay to allow sufficient depth for new berthing facilities and for a turning circle for incoming LNG carriers.
It also will include excavation of a shallow trench in the seabed for the seawater transfer pipe from the pier to the refinery seawater intake, as well as construction of the refinery pier extension and supporting infrastructure.
Other work includes installation of a 3 km aboveground gas pipeline and a treatment facility within the refinery boundary, and the trenching and installation of a short (4 km) underground gas transmission pipeline to connect to the existing southwest gas pipeline that runs through to the Otway basin and South Australia as part of the Victorian gas network.
Regasification will be via a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) that will be built and commissioned elsewhere and brought to the site intact.
The project is expected to operate 24 hr/day and up to 45 LNG carriers/year will berth and offload at the FSRU.
The EES addresses the potential issues of air quality, noise, end use, Aboriginal and historical heritage, native vegetation and groundwater disturbance, and traffic and transport issues, Viva said. The potential marine environment issues addressed for Corio Bay include water quality, water discharge, and the impact on the marine ecosystem, particularly the seagrass beds in the bay.
The EES is open for public comment until Apr. 11.
