Red tape swamps project

Portland Observer
Monday 21/4/2008 Page: 1

A RENEWABLE energy company is blaming State and Federal government red tape for the dramatic downsizing of its Portland wave energy project. Oceanlinx has withdrawn its proposal to deploy 18 1.5 megawatt wave energy converter units with a total generating capacity of 27 megawatts - and is now planning to deploy two units each with a one megawatt capacity. The company has been investigating a site a few kilometres south-west of Portland for the project. Its 27MW capacity project was to have been the largest wave energy development in the world.

In a brief statement to the Portland Observer late last week, Oceanlinx project manager Sebastien Ybert said that after discussions with the relevant departments at both state and federal levels, the company had withdrawn its previous environmental referrals under the Environmental Effect Statement Act and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

"New referrals are now being prepared and will include additional and revised information reflecting the reduced size of the project," he said. "These new applications are currently planned to be submitted in May - design work and consultation with key stakeholders is ongoing and will continue parallel to the permitting process." However, Mr Ybert expanded on the reasons for the downsizing and also reaffirmed the company's commitment to deploying units off the Portland coast at the earliest possible opportunity.

"Several high level meetings in both Canberra and Melbourne with the relevant departments in charge of the assessment of the Portland project permit applications have indicated obtaining the necessary permits for an 18 unit project was likely to require an extensive and potentially lengthy environmental assessment process," he said.

"Oceanlinx's board has therefore decided that, in the interests of deploying units at Portland at the earliest opportunity, withdrawing the 18 unit proposal and applying for a small scale (two units) project would be beneficial to both the regulator and the company.

"This would allow Oceanlinx to confirm the predicted low risk of environmental impact to the regulator on a smaller scale project and gain additional knowledge for future projects." The company's commitment to Portland, albeit on a smaller scale, was welcomed by Glenelg Shire mayor Geoff White and the Member for South West Coast Denis Napthine.

Dr Napthine, however, said it was absolutely crucial for the State and Federal governments to ensure they do everything possible to allow renewable energy projects to start operating. State Energy and Resources Minister Peter Batchelor said the Victorian Government, through the VRET (Victorian Renewable Energy Target) scheme and other policies, had been a huge supporter of renewable energy and would continue to be in the future. "Planning processes have to balance business, community and environmental interests and they cannot be sidestepped," he said.