Latest news with #decommissioning
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Not financially viable: Australia's first commercial wind farm set to be decommissioned
Australia's first commercial wind farm is set to be decommissioned, as the company who owns it reveals it is no longer 'financially viable'. Renewable energy company Pacific Blue announced the Codrington wind farm, located near Port Fairy in southwest Victoria, is set to be decommissioned, as it is 'approaching the end of its technical life'. 'At this stage, Pacific Blue is not pursuing a repowering option for Codrington,' a statement from the company said. 'The site's grid connection would require significant upgrades and today's turbine siting requirements would preclude the installation of latest generation turbines which can have an output of over five times that of Codrington's current turbines. 'The company's analysis considered the limitations of space on the site and necessary upgrades to modernise the grid equipment, ultimately resolving that a new project at Codrington is not financially viable for this location.' The wind farm has been in operation for 25 years, and was officially opened by former Victorian Premier Steve Bracks in July 2001. The Codrington site was described by Pacific Blue as 'close to perfect', as it was placed to receive the full force of winds blowing off the Southern Ocean. Each year, the wind farm generated enough electricity to supply the equivalent of 10,000 Victorian homes and prevented 49,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions – the equivalent of taking more than 17,000 cars off the roads, according to Pacific Blue. More than $9m was injected into the regional economy during construction and development and about 30 jobs were created with local companies contracted to install roads, foundations, towers, transformers and cabling to make the farm operational. Pacific Blue said they were 'deeply committed' to engaging with the communities surrounding Codrington and in southwest Victoria throughout the decommissioning process. 'The company also needs to account for the needs and preferences of the site's landholders, whom it has successfully partnered with for over 25 years,' a statement said. 'Pacific Blue is grateful for their continued support on this project.' Pacific Blue also said it is exploring how the 14 wind turbines, which have a hub height of 50m and blade tip height of 81m, could be recycled. 'The company is focused on delivering a thorough, respectful, and industry-leading decommissioning of Codrington Wind Farm, which includes exploring recycling options for as much of the site's infrastructure as possible while upholding safety and environmental expectations,' a statement said. The company confirmed the turbines will be dismantled by crane. The company is engaging with industry leaders to explore how best to recycle the blades, with options successfully executed overseas in the past including transforming them into surf boards and 'glamping pods'. Last year, Queensland MP Mick de Brenni was spotted wearing sneakers made from recycled wind turbine blades. In a statement, Pacific Blue revealed broader community and stakeholder engagement was planned for the second half of 2025. Permit conditions require the decommissioning to be completed within 12 months of the wind farm ceasing to generate electricity. Pacific Blue operates wind farms, hydro plants and solar farms across Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and NSW. Codrington's decommission prompted calls to the Federal government from the Smart Energy Council to mandate a national product stewardship scheme so 'smart energy solutions don't become tomorrow's waste crisis'.
ABC News
6 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Offshore regulator investigates Woodside spill off WA's Ningaloo coast
The federal offshore energy regulator is investigating Woodside Energy's management of an oil spill off Western Australia's north west coast. The "unplanned discharge" occurred on May 8 amid decommissioning activities at the Griffin oil and gas field, about 58 kilometres north-west of Exmouth. A subsea pipeline was being flushed when engineers noticed the release of fluids and called off the operation. In a statement, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) said about 61,000 litres of water and hydrocarbons was discharged into the surrounding ocean. Of that, a NOPSEMA spokesperson said about 16,000 litres may be hydrocarbons. "NOPSEMA is aware of the incident and it is currently under investigation," they said. "NOPSEMA's position is to ensure titleholders undertake decommissioning activities in a safe and timely manner." A Woodside spokesperson said the company was monitoring the spill and working with the regulator. The spokesperson acknowledged the spill contained "remnant aged hydrocarbon and residual chemicals". Hydrocarbons are the chief components of petroleum and natural gas. Woodside said a team of environmental scientists was dispatched to monitor the spill and deployed tracking buoys. The gas giant said it anticipated no contact with shorelines or sensitive marine habitats, despite its proximity to the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef. Production at the Griffin field was halted by BHP in 2009, and the company had plugged all 12 wells before Woodside took control of the mining giant's oil and gas assets via merger in 2022. With the remnant infrastructure sitting in Commonwealth waters, NOPSEMA directed Woodside to decommission it. At the time of the spill, 18 of 21 Griffin pipelines had been successfully flushed in preparation for removal. The site has previously come under fire by regulators and environmentalists. Greenpeace criticised Woodside in 2021 for leaving a 93-metre-tall "riser turret mooring" in the seabed, where it had been sunk years prior by BHP. Woodside eventually recovered the structure in December 2024 after NOPSEMA threatened fines. The incident comes as Woodside awaits final federal approval for its North West Shelf gas hub extension to operate through to 2070. The plant processes natural gas pulled from the continental shelf surrounding the Griffin field spill site, and one of the largest known reserves of the resource in Australia. The day of the spill also coincided with Woodside's annual general meeting in Perth, where protesters disrupted proceedings to highlight concerns over climate change. Shortly afterwards, the company announced it had amended its proposed Browse development in the Kimberley, following mediation with WA's Environmental Protection Agency. Woodside said it would shrink the project's footprint to no longer include Scott Reef shallow water habitats or Sandy Islet. It also pledged to implement a newly-trialled technology that could minimise the risk of a subsea spill and "immediately stop the flow of hydrocarbons to the environment" within just 12 hours. Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt is set to make his decision in coming days.
E&E News
23-05-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Interior will oversee oil decommissioning in marine sanctuary
The Trump administration is giving an offshore regulatory agency new authority over decommissioning oil and gas sites in a recently created marine sanctuary off California's central coast. The Interior Department said Thursday that its Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement is now the lead federal agency to oversee retiring oil and gas platforms in the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. The 4,543-square-mile swath of the Pacific Ocean became protected near the end of the Biden administration. Oil and gas decommissioning oversight for the area had been under the Department of Commerce. 'This is a strong example of interagency collaboration to streamline permitting and promote responsible energy development while honoring our commitment to environmental protection,' said Interior's acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, Adam Suess, in a statement. 'By leveraging BSEE's regulatory expertise, we can ensure that offshore decommissioning activities within the sanctuary are conducted safely and efficiently.' Advertisement BSEE is charged with leading safety and environmental protection related to offshore energy activities on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which is also part of Interior, manages the development of resources in that offshore region.
