Posted on February 20, 2018
By Ashleigh Pisani, AdelaideNow
A SECOND major dredge is being planned for the Port River by Origin Energy.
The electricity and gas supplier has applied to the State Planning Commission to dredge 70,000 cubic metres of sea matter to accommodate a fuel storage barge.
The revelation comes as Planning Minister John Rau asks the Environment Protection Authority to investigate the impact of dumping spoil from a much larger dredging proposal from Flinders Ports on land rather than in the Gulf St Vincent.
Mr Rau wants to look into relocating the 1.5 million cubic metres of spoil which would have to be removed to widen the Port River on to land at Gillman — a plan mooted by former Port Adelaide Enfield Mayor Gary Johanson.
An Origin spokesman said the company’s application to dredge the Port River was part of its plan to convert one of the five generation units at the Quarantine Power Station on Torrens Island from natural gas to liquid petroleum gas (LPG).
“Enabling this unit to operate on LPG after being started on natural gas improves fuel supply availability for power generation and provides an important back-up should there be constraint issues within the existing natural gas transmission network,” the spokesman said.
“This project requires minor dredging in the Port River to enable an LPG storage barge to be positioned close to the power station, minor additional site infrastructure to be installed and modification of one of the existing gas turbine generators.
“The amount of material to be dredged represents less than five per cent of the total volume required for Flinders Ports’ proposed dredging operation and Origin is seeking approval for all dredged material to be disposed of at an approved onshore location.”
The spokesman expects the application to be referred to the EPA.
This proposal — which will be made public “shortly”, according to the company — has come to light at the same time as community concern about Flinders Ports’ controversial plan to widen the Outer Harbor shipping channel to allow access to larger ships has prompted action by Mr Rau.
Source: AdelaideNowQuarantine Power Station
