Palaszczuk reveals her solution to gas crisis and how she’ll get Albo to pay for it
The Federal Government along with the gas starved southern states could pay the $800 million needed for a Bowen Basin gas pipeline to be developed to release a huge resource and ease energy pressures, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said today.
The Bowen Basin gas pipeline could solve the energy crisis
A pipeline from Moranbah to the Gladstone is one of several pipeline routes found to be viable in a State and Federal government report recently released.
If it was built it would release a gas resource equal to about 30 years of current demand and could be developed in 18 months, according to one of the companies that has a resource in the Bowen Basin.
“As we know there needs to be more supply of gas. That is an interim measure that needs to happen as soon as possible,” the premier said.
“We know that Queensland has an abundance of gas. There is more gas in the Bowen Basin, about 13,000 petajoules and of course the Galilee basin as well.
“What the Federal Government should consider, in conjunction with NSW and Victorian governments is building a pipeline. That would be one of the easiest solutions to releasing more supply.
“If the issue is supply to get gas to southern states there is the solution that I am putting on the table that is readily available. They would be able to pay for that and we would be able to release that extra gas.
“That is an option that is very conceivable.”
Blue Energy is one of the companies, along with Arrow Energy, that has a significant gas resource in the Bown Basin.
Blue’s chief executive John Phillips said the big issue holding back the development was Arrow’s refusal to build it.
He said the gas major didn’t need its gas in the Bowen Basin for its own uses until later this decade so had so far refused to build it despite holding the licence and clearances to do so.
He said a 450km pipeline would cost about $800 million. Blue already has contracts in place for the gas if the pipeline was developed.
But the Premier said the State Government would not allow the benefits from the public ownership of the gas fired generators to be compromised by a proposed price cap on coal.
“In relation to our coal fired generators, we will not jeopardise the household benefits that we are able to give Queenslanders that ease the cost-of-living pressures,” she said.
“We can do that because our assets are in public hands.
“Just this quarter every Queenslander is receiving $175 off their electricity bill.”
