Easement proposal for gas generators

Gosford Council officers have recommended that council create an easement for electricity transmission over a portion of the Woy Woy tip and sewage treatment plant sites.

Officers stated that the easement would allow power company AGL to take power created from gas engines to be exported into the Energy Australia electrical grid.

They stated that infrastructure needed would include poles and wires and associated switchgear within Council's land.

Officers stated that: "to achieve this, an easement needs to be created in favour of Energy Australia and a deed of agreement signed with Energy Australia".

They stated that the new installation would improve Council's "green image", reducing greenhouse gases by 35,000 tonnes per year for each site.

They stated that it would also see the elimination of the current electrical supply restrictions at Woy Woy.

AGL recently entered into a 15-year contract with Council to use landfill gas at both the Kincumber and Woy Woy landfill sites.

The company has already completed the installation of flaring stations at both the Woy Woy and Kincumber sites.

The flares are used to burn off methane gas produced by the landfill sites.

AGL stated that the tested gas levels had indicated an opportunity to create power generation from both sites.

As a result AGL is now in the process of installing power generation equipment at both Woy Woy and Kincumber landfill sites.

The equipment would consist of single one megawatt units for each of the sites, which would generate electricity, which in turn will be exported into the Energy Australia electrical grid.

Once the generators have been commissioned, the flares would be turned off and the landfill gas re-directed to fuel engines which would drive electrical generators.

Officers stated that the flares would be left on site so that in the event of an engine or generator failure the flare could be re-activated to burn off excess landfill gas.

Officers also stated that the new poles and wires would improve the electrical supply capacity to the Woy Woy landfill site, which was currently of "insufficient capacity to sustain Council's electrical load requirements".

Energy Australia would be responsible for the maintenance of the high voltage electrical infrastructure to the Council boundary.

AGL would be responsible for all internal electrical infrastructure associated with the landfill gas power generation requirements within the landfill site.

Council agenda CIT.36, 27 Nov 2007