VIVA’S MEGA POWER PLAY
ENERGY HUB: Solar farm and gas storage plan to fuel refinery jobs growth
THE Geelong refinery will become a major “energy hub” incorporating gas and solar storage under Viva Energy’s vision for the future of its Corio operations.
The company yesterday announced it was assessing a number of energy development projects to diversify and strengthen operations in Geelong, potentially supporting the creation of new jobs and skills.
The vision includes plans for a solar farm with capacity to generate about 20 per cent of Geelong’s power needs.
A FLOATING liquefied natural gas storage and processing unit will be permanently moored in Corio Bay as part of a Viva Energy vision to diversify the Geelong oil refinery into a major energy hub.
Developing renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions are central to the vision, which includes:
USING buffer land to house a solar farm with capacity to generate about 20 per cent of Geelong’s power needs; ADDING storage capacity to bolster Australia’s domestic fuel security; INVESTIGATING aligned energy projects such as gas to power generation and hydrogen manufacture; and, CREATING an LNG storage and supply facility to come online by 2023-24.
On the day it announced the refinery was losing more than $1 million a week during the coronavirus lockdown, Viva Energy doubled down on securing its future by releasing the Geelong Energy Hub vision and committing to a $100 million maintenance program.
Chief executive Scott Wyatt revealed the company was advanced in its plans for the LNG storage vessel, with an expression of interest process to start within weeks.
Mr Wyatt said the footprint of the refinery was only about half of the 235ha site, with the surplus land creating opportunities to support projects such as a 27MW solar energy plant.
“Our site at Geelong has potential to be much more than just a refinery,” he said.
“The refinery remains a very important part of our business but it has a lot of potential to develop other projects that help support the broader energy supply into the state.
“And it also positions the company to transition to lower carbon energies as well.”
Mr Wyatt said the LNG project involved a floating storage and regasification unit that would be moored at a new berth at an existing pier.
He said LNG would be shipped in from other parts of Australia or overseas and be processed at the unit, returning it to natural gas that could power the refinery and be fed into the state’s supply pipeline.
With gas supply shortages forecast to start hitting southern states in 2023-24, Mr Wyatt said he hoped Viva Energy would be ready to provide additional supplies and help keep Victoria’s natural gas prices down by that time.
The project has the potential to develop LNG for heavy vehicles and shipping needs with Mr Wyatt noting the two commissioned Spirit of Tasmania ships that are destined to dock in Geelong will be powered by LNG.
In addition to the creation of jobs during construction and operation, the scope of the energy infrastructure would also lend itself to further investments in Geelong and strengthen the country’s energy security.
Mr Wyatt said he hoped the release of the vision would broaden people’s thinking about the potential for the site “and give it a new future that is exciting to people who work there, exciting to the community and obviously strengthens the viability of the refinery over the long term”.
He said Viva Energy would consult widely on the vision and work with governments, the community and partners to develop the full potential of the Geelong Energy Hub.