Page 10 - AsiaElec Week 48 2021
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AsiaElec POLICY AsiaElec
APPEA hails Queensland’s
resource roadmap
AUSTRALIA QUEENSLAND’S energy industry has hailed and initiatives to support the decarbonisation of
the state government’s 30-year roadmap for the economy were all “new and positive develop-
its resources sector, noting that the draft plan ments for the energy sector”.
cements natural gas’ role as the backbone of the The acting director of APPEA’s Queensland
local economy. branch, Matthew Paull, said: “The plan provides
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk improved certainty and clarity for Queensland’s
unveiled the draft Queensland Resources Indus- resources sector, with the gas industry continu-
try Development Plan on November 24, outlin- ing to be the backbone of the state economy.”
ing measures designed to transform the state’s He added: “The plan shows an understanding
resources sector by 2050. of the vital role natural gas plays right through-
Commenting on the draft plan, which is out the state and particularly in our regional
open for consultation until February, with a final communities … This plan confirms that role as a
version due for release in mid-2022, Resources provider of the reliable, affordable gas we depend
Minister Scott Stewart said the state’s resources on while also developing renewable energy
would allow for the development of clean energy technologies.”
systems. The draft plan came the same day the state
He said: “Queensland has the minerals that announced the release of the 2021 Queensland
will be needed for a decarbonised economy and Exploration Programme (QEP).
for building renewable energy systems, which The QEP includes petroleum and eight oil
means more regional jobs.” and gas exploration areas across the Bowen,
While the plan’s announcement focused on Bowen/Surat, Eromanga and Adavale basins.
such items as the strategic development of the Tenders, which open in December and close in
local battery industry and the redevelopment March 2022, provide for conventional, uncon-
of abandoned mineral mines, the Australian ventional and coal-bed methane (CBM) explo-
Petroleum Production and Exploration Associ- ration opportunities.
ation (APPEA) argued that several of its reforms In addition to its upstream component, the
would ensure that gas remained the long-term QEP includes four areas in the Surat/Bowen,
“backbone” of the state’s economy. Galilee and Eromanga basins for potential car-
APPEA said steel casing reform for horizon- bon storage projects.
tal wells, improvements in approval efficiency
Pandemic measures to slow Mongolian
coal delivery to China again
CHINA A resurgence in coronavirus (COVID-19) over 500 trucks per day seen last week, according
cases in northern China’s Inner Mongolia prov- to sources referred to by the trade publication.
ince bordering Mongolia looks set to slow coal China has several times placed restrictions
exports from Mongolia to China, MySteel has on trade flows from Mongolia since the start
reported. New infections were on November 29 of the pandemic in early 2020, but, with China
detected in Tongliao and Hulunbuir, Chinese suffering power outages due to a lack of coal to
officials were cited as saying. fire plants in recent months, there were hopes
Trucked coal exports to China via the that additional efforts to expedite coal deliveries
Gashuun Sukhait-Ganqimaodu checkpoint, the might prevent another substantial slowdown in
core conduit for the Sino-Mongolian coal trade, coal trucks crossing the border. The emergence
were slowed by Inner Mongolia officials to a rate of the new coronavirus variant Omicron may
of around 200 trucks per day from the rate of have put paid to that outlook.
P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 48 01•December•2021
