The search for geothermal or “hot rock” energy in Tasmania continues to expand.
Labor member for Braddon, Bryan Green, said today that two new Special Exploration Licences for geothermal energy would be granted.
Geothermal Energy Tasmania West Coast Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Allegiance Minerals NL, has applied for a Special Exploration Licence of 2205 square kilometres over the Pieman – Arthur River area of western Tasmania, and Geopower Pty Ltd has applied for an area of 4,892 square kilometres in the north-east of Tasmania.
“Geothermal Energy Tasmania’s exploration will be directed towards finding and evaluating hot dry rocks from which energy can be extracted, ultimately as electricity,” Mr Green said.
“Hot dry rock geothermal power is ideal for base load generation. A successful outcome may result in a very large, new source of energy that could be extracted with minimal environmental impact or greenhouse emissions”.
The company intends to spend $350,000 on exploration over the first two years of the licence’s life.
The initial exploration will focus on a review of the current knowledge and data available on the area followed in later years by deep exploration wells if enough encouragement is obtained from the early work.
Geopower Pty Ltd intends to search for a similar deep target of hot dry rocks in the North-East, and also to investigate the potential for shallow warm water systems. Successful low temperature turbine technology can operate using water at 60 to 70 degrees centigrade.
Exploration over the first two years of the Special Exploration Licence will include geophysical and groundwater surveys and the drilling of at least five holes for an expenditure of $558,000.
“Commercialisation of hot rock energy is still at a developmental stage, but exploration for geothermal energy is on the increase in Tasmania,” Mr Green said.
“We are seen as an attractive prospect because we have favourable geological conditions, and access to the national electricity grid through the Basslink cable”.
Mr Green also announced that an exploration licence in western Tasmania would be granted.
Eastren Pty Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Allegiance Mining NL, the owner of the Avebury nickel mine, has applied for an exploration licence covering 7 square kilometres in the Great Northern Creek area, south of Renison Bell.
The company aims to target nickel sulphide deposits by interpreting geophysical data, re-logging and re-assaying drill core held by Mineral Resources Tasmania and by drilling four drill holes in the summer of 2007/08.
The drilling program will be serviced by helicopter to minimise environmental disturbance. The expenditure commitment for the first two years of tenure is $850,000.
“The opening of the Avebury nickel mine in early 2008 will establish Tasmania as a significant nickel producer for the first time,” Mr Green said.
“The high level of commitment by Allegiance and other companies to the search for nickel in the State has the potential to enable this industry to grow and is another welcome sign of confidence in the future of mining in western Tasmania.”
No comments:
Post a Comment