Lease to host geo drill

ERIN PEARSON
A NORTH-east area of Alcoa’s Anglesea mining lease will host drilling to tap underground heat for green electricity generation, according to the company behind the project.
Greenearth Energy spokesman Robert King said the company was assessing 10 locations within the lease for the final drilling site.
Greenearth hoped to settle on the site by the end of next month, he said.
The area for drilling was north of Aloca’s coal mine and east of Gherang.
The project would pump water onto “hot rocks” underground to use the resultant steam for electricity generation.
A group of nearby residents have objected to the proposal, fearing damage to the environment, property values and rural lifestyle amenity.
Mr King said Greenearth met about 100 residents late last month “to seek opinions” on the final drilling sites, which were a mix of public and private land included in the lease.
The company had also been in negotiation with authorities, he said.
“We’ve talked in detail with the regulators, Department of Primary Industry and Parks Victoria and toured on site with them to discuss how to minimise environmental and visual concerns, so it’s certainly going to be a compromise.”
Mr King said renewable energy was a “difficult and challenging exercise” but Greenearth remained committed to the project.
“If we can make geothermal work, which is 24/7 renewable energy with no carbon footprint, it’s pretty exciting for the community.”
Mr King said stage-one drilling would require two wells costing around $30 million.
Gherang Community and Environment Group spokesperson Rod Nockles said Greenearth should extend its community consultations past this weekend until the end of July.
“Our overall position remains opposed to the proposal as it currently stands,” he said.
“We need more information on the selected sites for stage one and confirmation on noise, visual impacts and potential disruptions to the community.
“We want the final sites as far away from houses as possible. We want exclusion zones and no compulsory acquisition of homes.”