AGL submits environmental plans for proposed LNG terminal

AGL Energy, Sydney, has submitted for public comment an environmental effects statement for its proposed LNG import terminal at Crib Point on Westernport Bay, south of Melbourne in Victoria (OGJ Online, Oct. 12, 2018).

The $300 million (Aus.) plan involves a floating terminal moored at a newly constructed jetty, with input supply LNG carriers mooring alongside. Construction includes a 55-km gas pipeline to Pakenham to connect to the Victorian grid.

AGL says construction could begin in 2021 and the project brought on stream by 2023, in time to help meet the shortfall of gas supply predicted for Australia’s southeast market.

The project faces opposition from environmental groups as well as residents concerned about potential risks to the Westernport region’s ecosystems and tourism.

The project also faces opposition from Federal Government minister Greg Hunt, whose electorate encompasses the region. Hunt believes an LNG terminal planned for Port Kembla in New South Wales by a group headed by Western Australian entrepreneur Andrew Forrest is superior and less environmentally sensitive (OGJ Online, Apr. 29, 2019).

The Crib Point proposal requires approval from both the Victorian and the federal governments.

The AGL plan is one of two similar projects proposed in Victoria following Viva Energy’s announcement in June of its ambitions to transform the site of its Geelong oil refinery into an energy hub that includes an LNG import capability.

The AGL environmental effects statement will be open for public comment until Aug. 26. Subject to clearance, AGL hopes to make a final investment decision on the Crib Point project around the end of this year.