CEA is assessing opportunities for partnerships with energy and power companies and interested investors to explore and develop clean renewable 24/7 base-load geothermal power for mines and petroleum facilities, regional communities, with potential growth to supply the national electricity market in Eastern Australia.
Australian Electricity
Australian electricity generation is transitioning from fossil fuels dominated by coal to renewable energies principally solar and wind. This is resulting in electricity supply uncertainty due to shortage of 24/7 base-load power in the Australian electricity market as ageing coal fired power stations are retired.
This situation provides an outstanding opportunity for clean renewable 24/7 base-load geothermal power to enter and provide security of supply to the Australian electricity market. Refer to maps below
CEA Market Opportunities
CEA's tenements are well positioned to support remote energy markets where the present supply arrangements are unreliable and/or under significant price stress. Consequently our main focus is towards:-
- NE South Australia- Cooper Basin
- Oil and Gas Production - substitute power supply capability for Moomba plant and satellite facilities
- Power for potential carbon dioxide injection projects - Moomba Carbon Storage and enhanced oil recovery (EOR)
- Near to medium term potential 25 - 100MW
- Medium to longer term large scale potential to SE Australia / Adelaide / Melbourne National Electricity Market (NEM)
- Large scale requires major investment in transmission network
- NE South Australia - Roxby Downs
- Current power supply 125MW electricity grid connected to NEM
- Expected significant growth to 650MW could be met via a new grid connection to NEM
- NW Queensland - Mt Isa - Cannington - Major Minerals Province
- Gas fired power generation under significant price stress from LNG export competition
- 500 MW local demand actual and latent (un-met)
- Requires major investment in transmission line to NWQ Minerals Province
- Western Queensland - Longreach, Winton, Windorah, Quilpie, etc.
- Electricity subsidised by QLD government due to long distance grid and off grid situations
- Minor transmission reinforcement yields medium to long-term growth potential into Eastern Queensland / Brisbane NEM
The map below shows these market regions, NEM electricity grid, gas pipelines and CEA's tenements
Boiling water from Cooper Basin Bore | Photo: Joe Reichman