Tasmania’s poised to take advantage of the shipping industry’s huge demand for green methanol.
Bell Bay Power Fuels will resurrect the old oil-fired Bell Bay power station, decommissioned in 2009, to produce methanol and hydrogen, with a final decision on the $1.2 billion investment to come next year.
ABEL Energy CEO Michael Van Baarle says it’ll benefit local employment.
“The operation that we’re going to have here will require a direct workforce of about 50 people, 24-7,” he said.
“The indirect jobs will take the total number to over 200, maybe even 250-300.”
Energy Minister Guy Barnett welcomed the proposal.
“This is an exciting opportunity because it is a step towards the creation of a new $1.2 billion clean energy production facility, but it also provides an innovative solution to re-develop the mothballed oil-fired Bell Bay Power Station that was built in 1971,’’ Minister Barnett said.
“With our world class wind resource, Tasmania is an ideal location to produce cost-competitive renewable methanol/hydrogen on a large-scale to meet this emerging export and domestic demand and become a global leader in renewable energy supply.”
The Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing Zone CEO Susie Bower says the location is perfect.
“We have a renewable electricity source, we have available water, we have a deep-sea port, but more importantly we have industrial land right next to that deep-sea port,” she said.
“We actually already have a very skilled workforce right here at Bell Bay.”
Energy Minister Guy Barnett (middle) joins BBAMZ CEO Suzie Bower and ABEL Energy CEO Michael Van Baarle (r) at the site (supplied)
