Hot water hope

Camperdown Chronicle
Friday 22/2/2008 Page: 1

The Corangamite Shire is on track to be the first municipality in Victoria, possibly even Australia to provide geothermal energy on a commercial scale. Two sites have already been earmarked for appraisal wells to be sunk - one near Cobden, the other at Ross Creek near Timboon. Another two sites have been identified north of Port Fairy.

Hot Rock Ltd is behind the project, which managing director Mark Elliot said had "huge ramifications" for Victoria as a whole. "We're now envisaging a whole network of geothermal plants being set up all throughout the Otways," he said. "It's very exciting for us." Mr Elliot said the company planned to tap into what was known as the "Crayfish Substrata" located between 2700 and 3500 metres below the earth's surface. "It's much deeper and larger than the Dilwyn aquifer which supplies a lot of water for the area," he said. "The water temperature in the Crayfish Substrata is about 140°C - ideal for a geothermal plant." Once drilled the hot water would be used to heat a secondary fluid which produces steam at the much lower temperature of 30°C.

The steam would then drive a turbine, which in turn would drive a generator to produce electricity. The "closed loop" process is considered to be environmentally friendly., Mr Elliott said the four sites had been delineated from existing gas and oil drilling data. "We're looking at producing at least 1000 megawatts of energy in the next six to eight years," he said. "In fact, we should have a few megawatts up and running within the next three to four years. "This is revolutionary for Australia - its a fabulous energy source." Mr Elliott said wind farms could not provide enough energy for a "base load", producing just 30 percent of their full capacity.

"The problem with wind farms is that they can only produce energy when there is a breeze, they are also quite expensive. "We really have high hopes for geothermal energy and hope to be the first geothermal company operating at a commercial level in Australia." Hot Rock Ltd was awarded exploration rights in April last year for the area stretching from Lorne to the South Australian border and inland to Colac, Camperdown and Heywood. Mr Elliott said company representatives planned to meet with the Corangamite Shire and community stakeholders in the near future to discuss the project.