Other energy and mineral developments

Established in 2008, the CO2CRC project develops and tests carbon dioxide (CO2) storage technologies, modelling and monitoring solutions at its state of the art research facility located at Nirranda in the south east of Moyne Shire. This technology is used for carbon sequestration where carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and held underground so that it does not contribute to global warming.

The facility provides:

• Seven purpose-drilled 1.5 km deep CO2 storage wells for CO2 injection and monitoring
• A readily available supply of CO2 from an in-situ CO2 gas field.
• A variety of storage reservoir types, structures and seals.
• Seismic surface and fibre optic downhole monitoring for observing and benchmarking subsurface technologies.

More information is available on the CO2CRC website

Electricity generated from sunlight delivers a clean source of energy generation and contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Victoria’s sunlight is ideal for producing energy. The most common technology used for solar electricity are panels of photovoltaic (PV) cells that convert sunlight directly into electricity. These panels can be attached to roof tops or placed in rows on the ground.

You can find out more about solar energy on the Victorian State Governments solar energy page

Hydrogen energy is produced from hydrogen, the most common chemical in the universe. It can be produced as a gas or liquid, or made part of other materials, and has many uses such as fuel for transport or heating, a way to store electricity, or a raw material in industrial processes.

Read about Deakin University Warrnambool’s Hycel hydrogen project at:

https://www.deakin.edu.au/hycel

A range of technologies are used to store energy in batteries. These include lithium ion, sodium ion and molten-state such as sodium sulphur batteries. 

Large-scale batteries typically consist of several components – a battery unit or ‘enclosure’ (generally a large box like a shipping container), an inverter, and a transformer. The number of enclosures depends on the type of technology and electricity output required. The battery is connected to an energy supply such as a wind or solar farm or part of the electricity transmission system, such as a substation.

Battery storage, when combined with renewable energy, can help maintain a reliable energy supply, especially in times of high electricity use. 

Find out more: https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/batteries-and-energy-storage 

Wave energy, less commonly referred to as tidal, marine or ocean energy, is an emerging technology that uses the power of the ocean to produce zero-emission electricity. Wave energy captures the movement of the ocean and converts this into usable electricity. Several wave energy trials have been undertaken in Australia and further research and testing is ongoing.

RESEARCH PROJECT - Controlling Coastlines while Generating Power 

Council has entered a partnership with Swinburne University for a research project using Port Fairy’s East Beach and the Port of Geraldton as case studies. The project will explore the use of wave energy converters to absorb and reflect the energy created by waves that damage Australia’s vulnerable coastlines.

The research aims to:

1. Calculate and test coastal protection and wave energy regeneration models.
2. Understand how different models could be switched to deliver coastal protection when needed without massively altering the nearshore ecology, and to generate renewable electricity from wave activity at other times.
3. Understand the potential impacts of the different models on the coast.

The $2 million project is supported by $436,000 in Federal Government funding through the Australian Research Council Linkage grant scheme, with Council contributing up to $86,250 of in-kind expertise and $11,250 cash over the three year period. The University of Adelaide and University of NSW are also collaborating on the project.

Further information can be found on the Swinburne University website or by contacting Council’s Energy Projects team on 1300 656 564 or moyne@moyne.vic.gov.au

Geothermal energy is heat derived from the sub-surface of the earth. Water and/or steam carry the geothermal energy to the earth's surface. Depending on its characteristics, geothermal energy can be used for heating and cooling purposes or be harnessed to generate clean electricity.

In June 2018 the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (DJPR) released 11 ground blocks (the ‘Stavely Ground Release’) for minerals exploration in an area known as the Stavely Arc, and opened a tender process to encourage applications from mineral explorers.

In April 2020 a licence was granted for ‘Stavely Block 1’ to Westrock Minerals which then commenced an exploration program to search for copper and gold in the tenure that includes parts of the Chatsworth, Caramut and Hexham districts. This exploration is ongoing. In August 2021 a licence was granted for ‘Stavely Block 3’ to Stavely Minerals Limited, allowing it to explore in an area approximately 25 kilometres west of Ararat including parts of the Woorndoo and Chatsworth districts. This licence is the fifth to be issued for the Stavely Arc since the 2018 Stavely Ground Release.

External link: www.stavely.com.au/community

Minerals exploration is exempt from the need for a planning permit under the Moyne Planning Scheme, which is consistent across Victoria. Early-stage exploration activities such as mapping, sampling and rock testing are the first steps in establishing if minerals are present. If development is considered viable, it typically takes many years to progress toward mining, including meeting regulatory controls.

To access privately owned land in Victoria, minerals explorers require landholder consent.

External link https://earthresources.vic.gov.au/projects/stavely